^ V\a-\cn 


The  Chesapeake  & Ohio  Railroad: 


ITS  ADVANTACES  AS  A 


THROUC  central  CIRCULATION  BOOKSTACKS  )UTE 


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..JUTE 


BETWEEN  THE 

J^1<T1D  TSIEI  WEST, 


TOGETHER  WITH  INFORMATION  CONCERNING  THE 


AGRICULTURAL,  MINERAL  & MECHANICAL  RESOURCES, 

THE 


COAL  AND  IRON-ORE  DEPOSITS, 

AND  THE 


Opportunities  for  Settlement,  Investment,  and  the  Active 
Employment  of  Capital  and  Labor  in  Various 
Industries  along  its  Route. 


MIjAY,  18T3. 


F’ISK  S'  MATCMy  Bankers, 

6 Nassau  Street,  New  York. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGB6. 

Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Eailroau  and  Connections  - - - 1-7 

Character  of  the  Work  , - - 7-8 

Advantages  as  a Through  Eoute  9_25 

Need  op  Transportation  Facilities  Between  East  and  West  12-17 
Eesources  and  Attractions  of  the  Country  : 

Agricultural  and  Timber  26-40 

Iron  Ores  - --  --  --  --  - 40-47 

Coal  Deposits  - 47-57 

Salt,  Clay,  Cement,  &c.  ------  58-60 

Water  Powers,  Industrial  Sites 61-62 

Attractions  for  Pleasure  Travel,  Scenery,  Medicinal  Springs, 

&c. , . 63-67 

Distance  and  Time  Tables 69-70 


DC! 


r-  ' A 

■ CA^A 


THE  CHESAPEAKE  AND  OHIO  RAIEROAI). 


) Tlie  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  is  now  l)nilt 
iind  in  operation  from  Riclimond,  wliere  it  connects  witli 
,ilie  navigable  waters  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  to  Hnnting- 
jton,  at  tlie  head  of  reliable  navigation  on  the  Ohio  River,  a 
(fi stance  of  420  miles. 

I The  road  possesses  j^ecnliar  facilities  for  the  most  ex- 
pensive and  economical  transportation  of  Western  field 
produce  destined  for  the  seaboard  States  and  for  shipment 
^to  Europe,  and  of  imported  and  mannfactnred  goods 
for  the  great  States  occupying  and  adjacent  to  the  Ohio  and 
• Mississippi  valleys. 

It  has  also  special  advantages  as  a very  direct  and 
-attractive  Passenger  Line  between  the  principal  Western 
Land  Soiitli western  Cities  and  railroad-centers,  and  Rich- 
^niond,  Washington,  Baltimore,  Philadel])hia,  New  York, 
Boston,  and  all  important  points  in  the  Atlantic.  States.  . 

It  is  also  admirably  sitnat(Hl  to  becoim^  a cheap  ami 
favorite  route  for  European  shipments  and  for  immigrants 
d(  stilled  for  the  West  and  Southwest,  as,  in  addition  to  the 
present  Eastern  terminus  at  Richmond,  it  will  also  have  a 
deep-water  terminus  directly  upon  the  most  central,  com- 
modious and  unobstructed  harbor  on  our  (uitire  North 
Atlantic  coast,  where  the  transfer  from  vessels  to  cars  can 
be  made  at  less  expense,  and  with  less  interruption  and 
, delay,  than  at  any  other  point  at  which  Europiean  cargoes 
L and  passengers  can  find  direct  and  convenient  access  to  the 
- interior. 

JcoxxECTixo  Water  & Railroad  Lines  — European, 
Searoard  and  Inland. 

At  Richmond  the  Company  have  erected  extensive 
wharves  for  the  transfer  of  general  freight  and  mineral  traffic., 


■bs  oo 


2 


! 


where  cargoes  can  be  ti*ansferrred  from  the  cars  to  vesseh 
with  great  rapidity  and  economy.  Vessels  drawing  13  feeb 
of  water  can  always  reach  this  port,  and  at  high  watei 
for  the  greater  portion  of  tlie  year  it  will  admit  vessels 
drawing  16  feet.  Tlie  large  Coal  and  Iron  business  of  the 
Road,  the  coastwise  trade,  and  a considerable  foreign  busij 
ness  can  be  suitably  accommodated  at  this  point,  as  it  i^ 
accessible  at  all  times  to  vessels  of  average  capacity  employed 
in  the  coasting  and  foreign  trade.  !i 

The  Company  have  also  in  progress,  for  which  all  neces 
sary  authority  and  right  of  way,  &c.,  have  been  secured,  the 
construction  of  an  extension  of  their  line  from  the  present 
terminus  at  Richmond,  down  the  Peninsula  between  the 
York  and  James  Rivers,  to  a point  on  tlie  deep  waters  of 
the  Chesapeake  Bay,  near  the  Capes  at  its  entrance,  where 
safe  anchorage  and  sufficient  de]3th  of  water  can  always 
be  found  to  float  the  largest  vessels  in  the  world  alongside 
the  cars,  and  to  and  from  which  vessels  may  come  and  go , 
without  a pilot. 

An  excellent  line  of  European  steamers,  the  “Allan,” 
are  already  running  to  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  their  vessels 
making  semi-monthly  trips  between  Norfolk  and  Liver- 
pool. They  will  seek  the  wharves  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  Railroad  Company,  at  its  deep-water  terminus,  to 
discharge  and  receive  cargoes  and  transfer  passengers 
directly  to  and  from  the  Company’s  cars,  and  by  this 
means  establish  a close  and  direct  line  of  travel  and 
shipment  between  Europe  and  the  Western  States.  Con- 
nection between  these  steamers  and  the  present  terminus 
of  the  Road  at  Richmond  is  now  made  by  comfortable 
and  commodious  passenger  steamboats  on  the  James  River 
and  by  rail  ma  the  Norfolk^  Peter shurg  and  Soutliside 
Railroad. 

The  managers  of  the  Allan  Line  are  prepared  to  increase 
the  number  of  their  steamers  running  to  the  Chesapeake 
Bay,  when  this  deep-water  extension  is  completed,  and 
other  lines  of  European  Steamers  will,  without  doubt,  also 


3 


vessels  are  large  and  coinmodious,  admirably  fitted,  well 
k(‘i)t  and  commanded  by  able  and  experienced  officers, 
aijd  the  line  is  efficiently  and  tliorongldy  managed  in  all 
retepects.  The  trips  are  made  in  about  24  hours  to  Hampton 
Roads,  and  abont  36  hours  to  Richmond,  and  affords  a 
pfeasant  and  increasingly  j)0X3iilar  route  for  travelers,  espe- 
cijilly  in  summer,  and  for  tourists  and  health -seekers  en 
volute  for  Virginia  and  the  West.  It  forms  in  connection 
^ith  the  Road,  by  far  the  cheapest  and  best  route  for 
sl]|ipments  of  freight  between  New  York  and  many  points 
at  the  W est  and  Southwest.  * 

At  Richmond,  the  Chesapeake  & Ohio  Railroad  has 
rail  connections  mA  the  Richmond  I) anmlle  & Charlotte^  and 
the  Norfolk,  Petersburg  and  Southside  Railroads  with  all 
points  in  the  Southeastern  States,  including  Wilmington, 
Charleston,  Augusta,  Macon,  Savannah,  &c.  ; also  ria. 
the  Richmond  and  Pyederickshurg  Railroad  with  Alex- 
andria, Washington  and  the  North. 

^ At  Grordonsville,  76  miles  west  of  Richmond,  regular  all- 
lail  connections,  with  through  trains,  are  made,  via  the 
Orange  a7id  Alexandria  Railroad,  for  Washington,  Balti- 
more, Philadelphia,  and  New  York,  forming  with  the 
steamers  on  the  Ohio  River  between  Iluntington  and 
Cincinnati,  a very  attractive  Through  Route  for  passengers 
to  and  from  the  West  and  Southwest.  Through  tickets  can 
be  obtained  between  New  York  and  Richmond,  Gordons- 
^ille,  Charlottesville,  Staunton,  White  Sulphur  Springs, 
Charleston,  Huntington,  and  Cincinnati,  via.  the  Chesa- 
p<|3ake  and  Ohio  Railroad.  Passengers  leaving  New  York 


^ For  particulars  in  regard  to  through  freight  or  passage  applications  can  be  made  to  H.  W.  Carr 
ceijieral  Freight  Agent,  at  the  Freight  and  Ticket  Office  of  the  Itailroad  Company,  229  Oroauway’ 
-rut  the  Office  of  the  Old  Dominion  Steamship  Company,  corner  of  Dey  and  Greenwich  streets.  New 


can  take  sleeping  cars  at  Wasliington 
living  at  White  Snlplinr  the  followij 
morning  ; or  leaving  'New  York  by  sleeping  car  in 


in  the  morning 
Gordonsville, 


evening,  can  take-  elegant  day  cars  from  Washington  a 
reach  White  Sulphur  Springs,  via  Gordonsville,  the  folio, 
ing  evening,  in  24  hours  travel ; and  Hnntington  in  9 lion 
additional. 

At  Hnntington,  the  Ohio  River  terminus,  regnl 
connection  is  made  with  first-class  lines  of  Passen^j 
Packets  for  fronton,  Portsmouth,  and  Cincinnati;  a 
through  these  with  railroad  and  river  lines  for  all  poi 
West  and  South.  Excellent  fare  and  comfortable  travel 
found  on  these  boats.  Througli  freight  transportation 
passage  may  also  be  had  by  steamboats  and  barges,  betwej 


Huntington,  and  Louisville,  Saint  Louis,  Memphis, 


li- 

the 


Orleans,  and  intermediate  xmints. 

Continuous  railroad  communication  between  the  weste 
terminus  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad,  and  Cine j hi 
nati  and  Louisville  will  shortly  be  completed  via  the  Lou 
ville,  Cincinnati,  and  Lexington  Railroad,  one  of  the  oldLstj 
railroads  of  the  West,  connecting  the  four  chief  cities  of  K( 
tucky,  and  the  chief  city  of  Ohio,  with  each  other,  and  t 
ElizahetMoion,  Lexington  <&  Big  Bandy  Railroad  now  being 
constructed,  of  which  33  miles  east  from  Lexington  are^  in 
operation  under  lease  to  the  former  Company.  The  remain- 
ing distance  between  tlie  Big  Sandy  River,  where  it  connects 
with  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  R.R.  85  miles,  it  is  expected 
will  be  linished  by  the  close  of  this  year  or  in  1874  ; when 
there  will  be  a very  direct  all-rail  line  between  Rich- 
mond and  Louisville,  040  miles,  with  a branch  line  to  Cin- 
cinnati, and  extensions  via  Louisville  to  Saint  Louis  and 
the  Far  W est. 


Direct  rail  connection  with  Cincinnati  will  also  be  estabi 
lished  by  oiie  or  more  roads  following  the  Ohio  RiVei 
Valley.  The  Cincinnati  and  Chesapeake  Railroad  Co:(n 
pany,  organized  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  foi 
the  pnri)ose  of  building  a low-grade  railroad  from  Cincin 


i 


$1,250, 000,  toward  tlie  construction  of  a road  upon 
-plijs  ]*onte,  and  towiis  and  connti(‘s  along’  the  route,  have 
^.1  jjpropi’iated  additional  sums,  making’  an  aggregate  of 
nehrly  $2,000,000.  • The  line  is  about  150  miles  in  length 
wijtli  no  grades  exceeding  15  feet  per  mile,  and  the  road 
cajii  be  built  at  a very  moderate  cost.  • 

I The  Southern  Ohio  Railroad  Company  have  completed 
thorougli  surveys  for  a line  ria.  Hillsboro’  to  Dayton,  which 
will  form  an  important  link  in  a through  line  between 
Chicago  and  the  western  terminus  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
I '.Ohio.  From  Huntington  to  Dayton,  via.  Portsmouth,  this 
jroad,  as  surveyed,  is  155  miles,  witli  very  light  grades  and 
‘easy  of  construction.  The  same  company  contemplate  a 
branch  of  their  line  from  Hillsboro  to  Cincinnati,  the  dis- 
tance from  Huntington  to  Cincinnati,  being  by  this  route 
about  157  miles.  A large  amount  of  individual  Stock  sub- 
scription has  been  made;  and  as  there  are  one  or  more 
tributTiary  lines  building  or  projected  to  connect  Columbus, 
lUrbana  and  Toledo  with  this  road,  and  through  it  with  the 
dow-grade  Trunk  Line  to  the  seaboard,  it  will  no  doubt  be 
ppeedily  built. 

^ The  Chesapeake  & Ohio  Hailroad  Company  have  a valu- 
able and  important  franchise  for  bridging  the  Ohio  River 
jat  Huntington,  which  gives  them  the  ejitire  conti'ol  of  the 
grossing  at  this  point.  Tlie  plans  and  estimates  for  tlie 
bridge  have  already  been  made,  and  it  will  be  built  in  time 
to  meet  these  connecting  lines  in  Ohio. 

Ihe  Kentucky  and  Great  Kastern  Railroad  Company, 
prganized  under  tlie  laws  of  Kcmtmdvy,  are  constructing  a 
ji  road  from  Newport,  opposite  Cincinnati,  along  the  south 
Ohio  River  to  the  Big  Sandy  terminus  of  the 
yhesapeake  and  Ohio.  This  line,  as  surveyed,  is  146 

tiles  in  length,  and  will  lie  a very  valuable  feeder  of 
e Chesapeake  and  Ohio,  and  also  an  alternative  connect - 
jng  line  to  Louisville  and  Cincinnati.  Considerable  county 
Jiid  has  already  been  voted  for  its  construction. 


6 


Past  History  ; and  the  Recent  Extension  and  Co. 

PLETION  OF  THE  ClIESAPEaKE  AND  OlIIO  RaILROAD. 

The  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  was  formed 
a consolidation  of  the  roads,  properties,  and  franchises 
the  Virginia  Central  Railroad  Company^  and  those 
the  Comuglon  and  Ohio  Rrilroad  Cornytany^  authoriz 
in  1866.  Its  charter  privileges  cover  ‘the  line  from  ti 
water  on  the  J ames  River  to  the  Ohio  River,  at  or  near  t 
month  of  the  Big  Sandy  River,  where  the  borders  of  t 
three  States  of  West  Virginia,  Kentucky  and  Ohio  ton 
each  other,  a distance  of  427  miles,  together  with  sevei 
important  branches  and  extensions. 

The  Virginia  Central  Railroad  was  originally  charter 
in  1836 — about  the  time  when  the  great  lines  throiu 
Maryland,  Pennsylvania  and  Kew  York  were  started 
under  the  title  of  the  Louisa  Railroad.  Its  title  was  sub 
quently  changed,  and  its  privileges  enlarged,  as  above  ; t 
State  becoming  a subscriber  to  three-fifths  of  the  capital 
the  Company.  It  was  extended  westward  from  time 
time,  the  State  having  built  independently  the  road  ai 
tunnel  across  the  Blue  Ridge,  known  as  the  Blue  Rid 
Division,  which  was  for  a series  of  years  operated  und 
a lease,  until  1870  when  it  was  transferred  by  purchase 
the  present  Company,  and  incorporated  as  part  of  its  line 

Prior  to  1860  the  State  of  Virginia  had,  in  the  general  fn 
therance  of  the  plan  of  building  a great  highway  between  ti 
Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  Ohio  River  within  her  oavii  territor 
constituted  its  Board  of  Public  Works  a cor]3oration  und 
the  title  of  the  Coevngton  and.  Ohio  Railroad  Company 
for  the  ])urpose  of  constructing  that  part  of  the  through  lin 
between  Covington  and  the  Ohio  River.  This  portion  en 
braced  the  heavy  work  involved  in  crossing  the  All 
ghenies.  Work  was  begun  and  prosecuted  at  several  poin 
on  the  line,  and  several  millions  gold  value,  had  bee 
exj)ended  thereon,  chiefly  in  tunnelling,  rock-excavatio 
and  permanent  embankments,  which  could  not  suffer  a] 
preciably  by  the  lapse  of  time,  when  the  State  approprii 
tions  ceased. 


7 


' ]\roainvln1o  the  Yirf/inhf  Ceulral  lind  bo('ii  oxtcaidod  to 
\)iu*ksoirs  Kiv('r,  11)5  inilos  \v('st  oF  Ili(‘lnTiond.  Tn  1860 
tl'u'  two  portions  of  tlu'  tliroiigli  I'outn  worn  consolidatod 
as  ono  property,  nndei'  a single  corporation — the  Ciiesa- 
TEAKE  .AND  Oiiio  IvAiLiioAD  Co.— the  States  of  Virginia 
and  AVest  A'^irginia  snrrendei'ing  the  property  and  rights  in 
the  Covington  and  Ohio  line,  within  their  resx)ective  terri- 
tories. In  1867  the  line  was  completed  to  Covington,  205 
miles  from  Richmond ; and  in  1869  to  the  AA^hite  Snl- 
plinr  Springs,  a celebrated  snmmer  resort,  situated  in  AA^est 
A^irginia,  227  miles  west  of  Richmond. 

By  the  close  of  1871  a section  of  about  ninety  miles  had 
been  finished  between  the  Ohio  river  terminus  at  Hunting- 
ton,  and  Kanawha  Falls,  the  centre  of  the  great  Kanawha 
Coal  Field.  This  link,  though  detached  from  the  main  line 
during  the  period  required  for  the  completion  of  heavy 
works  at  the  eastward,  became  a valuable  outlet  for 
travel  and  shipments  between  Charleston,  the  capital  or 
AVest  Virginia,  and  the  cities  along  the  Oliio  river,  as  well 
as  for  the  Salt  works  and  Coal  mines  along  the  railroad. 

By  the  close  of  January,  1873,  the  rails  of  the  Eastern 
and  Western  Divisions  were  united,  and  the  wliole  road 
from  Richmond  to  the  Ohio  River  was  opened  for  traffic 
April  1st. 

ClIARACTEli  OF  THE  AA^OIIK. 

The  road  is  of  the  standard  gnage,  56-J^  imdies,  common  to 
the  greater  Y)art  of  the  American  railroad  system.  In  its  con- 
struction the  most  modern  and  approved  ])lans  and  materials 
liave  been  adopted.  Iron  1) ridges  have  been  erected  in  the 
portion  recent!}^  built,  with  solid  masonry  abutments  and 
piers  for  double  track  injmportant  case's.  Steel  rails  have 
been  laid  on  a large  j)art  of  the  AVestern  Division,  over  which 
a heavy  mineral  traffic  i)ass(‘s,  and  other  portions  of  the 
road  are  Ix'ing  relaid  with  steel;  culverts  and  waterways 
have  been  made  of  more  than  ordinary  massiveness  and  dura- 
bility ; and  solid  embanknnmts  have  been  built  in  place  of 
tem|)oraiy  trestle-work. 


8 


Originally  designed  and  laid  out  on  a hold  am 
tliorougli  plan  as  a great  central  highway  between  the  ex 
tensive  system  of  internal  navigation  on  the  Wester 
Rivers,  and  the  most  central  and  commodious  harbor  o 
the  Atlantic  coast  line  of  the  United  States,  it  is  a splendi^l 
achievement  of  modern  engineering  skill ; and,  in  add 
tion  to  its  advantages  in  occupying  the  best  natural  pai^JiS 
over  the  Alleghenies,  which  designated  it  at  a very  earl 
day  as  the  most  desirable  central  route  between  the  Ea^ 
and  West,  it  stood,  at  the  date  of  its  completion  in  a mnci  -h 
more  perfect  condition,  in  its  alignment,  grades,  constrm  ^ 
tion,  equipment,  resources  and  connections,  than  any  of  th :]  e 
other  great  Trunk  Lines  at  the  same  period  of  their  liistor}^  ^ 

In  the  passage  from  the  sea- shore  to  the  navigable  water!  s 
of  the  west  the  road  crosses  the  Bine  Ridge  and  the  Alleg;- 
henies,  by  very  easy  grades,  the  highest  elevation  attaine  i 
being  about  2,000  feet;  and  the  descent  on  the  Westergi 
slojoe  is  made  with  remarkably  light  and  uniform  grades  anti 
without  noticeable  undulations.  The  several  ridges  are  cu[tt 
through  by  natural  water  gaps,  or  depressions,  which  have, 
in  places,  also  been  tunnelled,  far  below  the  general  level  of 
the  range. 

No  care  or  expense  has  been  spared  in  its  construction, 
which  was  necessary  to  render  it  a thoroughly  first  class 
and  substantial  railroad,  and  the  liberal  outlay  for  first 
construction  in  seeming  a solid  and  enduring  road-bed, 
masonry,  bridges  and  superstructure,  which  neitlier  th 
lapse  of  time  nor  the  action  of  the  elements  can  serioush 
impair,  will  result  in  great  saving  in  its  maintenance  anc 
repair,  and  in  the  expense  and  regularity  of  its  operation 
The  current  exjDenses  for  renewals  and  repairs,  both  of  tin 
trad:  and  rolling-stock,  wfill  be  much  less  than  on  more 
hast!  ^y  and  chea])ly- constructed  roads. 


ITS  ADVANTAGES  AS  A TIIUOUGn  ROUTE. 


J 


Tlie  need  of  increased  facilities  for  transportation  be  l^' 
tween  the  great  fertile  valleys  of  the  interior,  and  the'^' 
populous  and  busy  States  bordering  on  the  Atlantic  Oceari 


i 


9 


] 


'lias  Ix'oii  rocognized  Tor  years,  and  of  latii  has  attract'd 
iiioiH'  general  and  I'amest  attcnition  than  almost  any  otlnn* 
question  of  public  interi'st.  The  President  of  the  Unit(;d 
State's  in  his  pnblie'  messages  has  recognized  it  as  a cpiestion 
of  ]iational  ini])ortance ; political  and  commercial  conven- 
tions have  repeatedly  brought  it  before  the  attention  of  Con- 
gress and  Legislatures  ; and  tlie  National  Congress,  the  Lc'gis- 
latnre  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  and  those  of  several  of 
onr  States,  are  engaged  in  the  (mnsideration  of  plans  for  the 
larger  and  more  economical  transportation  of  the  surplus 
productions  of  our  Western  States,  to  the  places  where 
they  are  needed  for  consumption  at  the  East  and  for  sliix)- 
ment  to  Europe. 

So  great  is  the  surplus  at  the  West  of  the  fruits  of  the 
field  and  the  pasture,  that  all  the  railroads  have  more  freiglit 
offered  than  they  have  cars  to  contain,  engines  to  move,  or 
tracks  and  warehouses  to  accommodate.  Vessels  on  the 
Lakes  and  Divers  are  not  produced  fast  enough  to  meet  the 
lemand  for  tonnage. 

High  rates  of  freight  and  the  emxdoyment 

of  all  tlie  available  means  of  trans^iortation,  to  their  fullest 
capacity,  are  the  natural  consequences. 

For  a large  x)art  of  the  year  (160  days)  the  navigation 
of  the  Lakes,  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  Erie  Canal  is  vir- 
tually closed,  and  even  during  the  200  days  of  their  oi)era- 
tion  all  the  avenues  of  transxoort  and  transfer  are  frequently 
largely  overtasked.  The  pressure  of  local  and  higher-class, 
or  “ time  freights  ” on  the  Trunk  lines  is  such,  as  to  greatly 
limit  the  competition  for  the  carrying  of  the  more  bulky 
articles  of  food  and  general  utility. 

Notwithstanding  the  natural  obstacles  of  long  routes,  high 
grades,  dear  fuel,  and  ex^iensive  transfers  at  tide  water,  to- 
gether with  other  exiienses  of  handling  and  administration, 
with  which  some  of  the  great  East  and  West  railroad  lines 
are  burdened,  their  earnings  (and  in  most  cases  their  net 
X)rofits),  have  been  enormous  and  constantly  increasing  from 
year  to  year. 


1 


10 


The  following 


tables 


tonnage 

lines. 


and 


earnings  of 


show  the  rapid  growdh  ot  the! 
the  principal  ‘East  and  West! 


Table  Showing  the  Tonnage  Movement  on  Leading  East  and  West 
Freight  Lings. — Tons  Carried: 


Erie  Canal. 

N.  Y.  C.  & Hud.  R. 

Erie  Railway. 

Pennsylvania 

Railroad. 

1840 

1,416,046 

1845 

1,985,011 

1850 

3,076,617 

1852 

3,813,441 

456,460 

1855 

4,022,617 

776,112 

842,055 

365,006 

1862 

5,598,785 

1,905,173 

1,632,955 

2,223,051 

1865 

4,729,654 

1,767,149 

2,234,350 

2,798,810 

1870 

6,173,769 

4,122,000 

4,852,505 

5,427,401 

1871 

6,467.888 

4,844,208 

6,575,843 

1872 

6,673,370 

5,564,274 

8,459,535 

- HL 


Table  showing  the  Gross  Receipts  on  East  and  West  Trunk  Lines,  for  a 

SERIES  OF  YEARS. 


Erie  Railwa}'. 

N.  Y.  Central 
& H.  R. 

1 

Pennsylvania 
R.  R. 

Baltimore  and 
i Ohio  R.  R. 

Erie  Canal. 
Tolls  & Freight. 

1840 

1 

1 

$432,883 

$4,195,549 

1845 

$126,020 

1 

1 738,603 

4,431,461 

1850 

1,139,559 

$339,452 

1,341,805 

.5,76.3,388 

1855 

5,488,993 

$6,563,381 

4,270,070 

3,711,453 

5,841,410 

1862 

7,863,972 

11,994,356 

10.304,290 

4,481,859 

10,780,432 

1865 

1.5.300,574 

18,427,904 

17,459,169 

10,096,706 

8,605,961 

1870 

16,179,461 

22,36.3,319 

17,531,707 

8,427,718 

7,552,988 

1871 

17,168,005 

21,972,105 

18,719,8.37 

9,913,390 

10,779,887 

1872 

18,371,885 

25,580,676 

22,012,525 

10,654,472 

The  capa(*ity  of  the  Western  States  for  a still  larger  pro- 
duction is  i]icalcula])le,  and  the  demand  for  their  pro-  i 
ducts  has  no  limit.  The  Mississippi  Valley  alone  has  the  j 
soil  and  climate,  and  will  soon  have  po2)ulation  and  ) 
machinery,  that  will  enable  it  to  feed  the  civilized  world,  j 
The  Commerce  of  the  United  States  in  Breadstiitfs  and  i 
other  tVjod  supplies,  is  restricted  only  by  the  means  of  bring- 
ing forw^ard  its  ])roducts  within  the  reach  of  consiiimn's. 

The  utmost  exertion  on  the  part  of  the  limited  number  of 


11 


lines  nvailabU'  for  this  j)ur])()so,  i]i  building  double  and 
(|uadrnpl('  tracks  and  increasing  tlicir  e(](ui|)in(nits  cannot 
overtaki^  the  capacity  of  the  Wesbnai  Stakes,  nor  of  their 
supplies  avaihible  for  shi])inent. 

Tlu'  netwoj'k  of  railroads  in  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
\billeys  ('X(H>eds  8(),()(K)  miles,  and  it  is  linked  to  the  seaboard 
system  by  only  five  principal  Trunk  lines,  (including  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio,)  aided  for  a part  of  the  year  by  the 
Lakes,  and  tlieii*  artilicial  outlets,  the  Erie  Canal,  and  the 
St.  Lawrence  river  and  canals. 

The  magnitude  of  the  production,  marketable  surplus, 
and  shipment  distribution,  tonnage  and  travel  may  be 
better  understood  by  I'eference  to  publislied  Tables,  show- 
ing the  aggregate  x^i'oduction  of  tlie  Midwest  States,  the 
amounts  of  the  leading  articles  received  at  the  xulncipal 
distributing  and  shipping  ports,  the  amounts  exported,  and 
the  gross  and  net  receipts  of  tlie  principal  lines  of  trans- 
port. 

The  following  extract  from  a Report  made  in  1869  by  a 
Committee  of  the  National  Board  of  Trade,  composed  of 
members  from  all  tlie  principal  cities  and  shi])ping  centres  of 
the  country,  on  the  subject  of  increased  facilities  for  trans- 
portation between  the  West  and  tlie  Eastern  markets, 
conveys  in  forcible  language  some  of  the  aspects  of  this 
problem;  and  also  illustrates  the  value  of  the  addition 
which  the  completion  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad 
has  made  to  the  means  of  its  solution  : 


Transportation  to  Market  the  Great  Need  oe  the 

West. 

The  problem  now  most  seriously  engrossing  the  atten- 
tion of  commercial  num  at  tlu^  North,  at  the  East,  and 
throughout  the  West,  is  that  of  cheapej'  inter-communication 
between  the  great  interior  region  of  our  continent  and  the 
seaboard.  Tlie  necessity  for  its  solution  is  becoming  more 
and  nioi'e  urgent  every  day.  The  raili'oads  are  over- 
burdened with  freight,  and  are  inadequate  to  its  trans})or- 


tation,  at  rates  wliicli  draw  it  forth  from  remote  parts  of  the 
interior. 

‘^The  qnestioii  of  cheaper  transportation  is  only  another 
form  of  the  question  of  adequate  means  of  transportation — 
for  the  moment  that  freight  prices  are  so  reduced  as  to 
permit  produce  to  go  to  market,  from  where  it  is  grown  in 
the  fertile  West  at  a profit  to  the  prodncei',  immediately 
such  a volume  of  it  is  mobilized  as  to  overtax  the  capacity 
of  the  avenues  of  transportation.  The  problem  of  cheap 
carriage  is  therefore  no  other  than  tliat  of  adequate  means 
of  transportation. 

‘^The  productions  of  the  interior  are  magnifying  every 
year.  They  grow  in  aggregate  more  I'apidly  than  tlu' 
means  of  transmitting  them  to  market  can  be  multiplied. 
Western  production  is  constantly  pressing  unduly  upon 
the  means  of  transportation.  The  multiplication  of  rail- 
roads in  the  interior  is  more  rapid  than  that  of  railroads 
connecting  the  interior  with  the  seaboard.  The  effect  of 
the  extended  railroad  and  navigation  systems  of  the  West 
is  to  stimulate  })roduction  more  rapidly  than  existing  lines 
of  transportation  can  be  augmented  in  capacity.  Insuffi- 
ency  in  the  means  of  outlet  produces  high  freight  cliarges, 
and  the  remark  of  all  eminent  writers  on  political  economy 
is  true,  that  impassable  mountain  chains  interpose  no 
greater  barriers  to  trade  than  high  prices  of  freights. 


‘‘Extext  of  this  Ixlaxi)  Traxstoktatiox  Sa^stem  of 

THE  West. 

“The  stimulating  causes  nowin  operation  to  augment 
the  production  of  the  West  are  very  powerful  in  tlieir  in- 
fluence : 

“1.  The  natural  increase  of  population,  augmented  by 
tlie  immense  immigration  from  foreign  countries  and  from 
the  Atlantic  States,  is  iieopling  the  interior  regions  of  tlie 
continent  with  a rai)idity  unexampled  in  the  histoiy  of  the 
human  race  ; and  the  production  of  the  country  is  increas- 
ing in  the  same  un])recedented  ratio. 

“2.  The  luilroad  system  of  tln^  Mississippi  and  Lake 
Valleys  lias  grown  loan  aggregate  of  17,022  miles  in  hmgth.""' 
This  system  is  acting  as  a powerful  stimulant  to  thepi'oduc- 
tion  of  that  prolific  region  in  every  part  of  it. 

“3.  The  inland  navigation  of  the  West  is  of  immense 
expansion.  Ofiicial  reports  give  the  aggregate  length  of 


* This  was  in  1869;  at  the  close  of  1872  there  were  33,062  miles  in  10  Western  States  . 


j^eninbont  iKivipiliou  on  tlu' ^rississippi  and  its  tributarii^s 
at  l(),()7‘l  mill's.  'Plu'  Hat  boat  and  batb^aux  navigation  of 
the  Imaihvatm's  and  braniHies  of  tlicsij  great  stri'anis  in- 
creasi's  tliis  navigation  by  inoi'o  than  ten  thousand  mill's  ; 
and  in  the  course  of  a sliort  time  slack  water  and  iniual 
improvements  will  swell  the  grand  total  of  Western  iidand 
navigation  to  at  least  lifty  tlionsand  nulps.  It  will  ulti- 
mately be  considerably  more  if  the  European  principle 
should  obtain  in  this  conntiy,  that  every  stream  19  feet 
wide  and  18  indies  deep  may  be  rendered  navigable. 

“ River  navigation  has  assumed  new  importance  of  late 
by  the  inaiignration  of  a cheaper  and  more  efficient  system 
of  water  transportation.  On  the  Western  rivers  they  have 
instituted  the  system  of  steam  tugs  and  barges  on  a large 
scale.  The  effect  is  virtually  to  convert  the  river  cliannels 
into  railroads,  the  steam  tugs  being  locomotives,  and  the 
barges  being  freight  cars.  Incorporated  companies  of  large 
capital  own  the  tugs  and  barges,  and  run  them  upon  time 
schedules,  just  as  railroad  companies  run  their  trains — the 
trains  picking  up  barges  as  they  pass  different  wharves  and 
leaving  others.  The  expense  is  but  a fraction  of  railroad 
transportation,  and  the  river  channels  are  prized  as  nature’s 
substitute  for  long  railroad  tracks.  As  there  are  nearly 
17,009  miles  of  steamboat  navigation  on  the  Western  rivers, 
the  effect  is  virtually  to  add  17,000  miles  of  railroad  track 
to  the  transportation  business  of  the  West.  Thus  the  total 
leiigth  of  our  main^lines  of  transportation  in  the  West,  on 
wliich  steam  is  the  motor,  has  reached  34,000  miles. 

^‘  The  area  of  country  embracing  this  vast  system  of  rail- 
ways and  of  navigation  is  nearly  two  millions  of  scpiare 
miles  ; and  when  population  reaches  an  average  of  fffty 
persons  to  the  square  mile,  will  contain  one  hundred 
millions  of  peo])le  whose  leading  industiy  will  be  agri- 
culture. 

“The  stimulus  imparted  to  production  by  the  railway  and 
navigation  systems  which  liave  been  mentioned,  seconded 
by  the  unexampled  growth  of  population  there  going  on, 
is  producing  an  immense  develox)nient  of  export  })roducts. 
In  18G0  there  were  eighteen  millions  of  tons  of  produce  to 
spare  from  the  West,  not  one-half  of  Avhich  went  off  ! It 
failed  to  go  off  either  from  the  non-existence  of  sufficnent 
nutans  of  ti'ansportation,  or  by  reason  of  the  prohibitory  cost 
of  freightage  over  great  distances.  Wliat  the  amount  of 
])roduce  now  is  which  could  be  S])ared  for  outside  markets 
from  the  interior,  cannot  be  stated  witli  authentic  accuracy, 
and  the  statistics  of  the  forthcoming  census  must  be 


awaited.  But  it  would  be  an  under- statement  to  say  that 
has  reached  twenty-live  millions  of  tons.  On  the  other 
hand  it  would  be  an  exaggeration  to  estimate  that  twelve 
and  a half  millions  of  these  tons  now  go  out  to  market  over 
all  the  existing  avenues  of  transit. 

‘‘The  existing  deliciency  in  the  facilities  of  transportation 
increases  as  the  centre  of  production  recedes  westward. 
A few  years  ago  this  centre  was  in  Ohio.  It  has  steadily 
retrograded  through  the  States  of  Indiana  and  Illinois.  It 
has  now  crossed  tlie  Mississippi,  and  is  still  moving  west- 
ward. The  centre  of  demand  at  the  West  for  the  necessary 
supplies  from  the  East,  including  machinery,  other  manu- 
factures and  merchandise,  salt,  iron  and  coal,  is  receding 
with  equal  step  into  the  far  interior,  to  a still  greater  dis- 
tance from  the  source  of  suppl}^ ; so  that,  while  the  demand 
for  intercommunication  is  constantly  increasing,  the  con- 
tinually widening  distance  between  the  places  of  production 
and  of  consumption  is  adding  to  the  expense  of  communi- 
cation. 

“Already  very  many  of  the  products  of  the  AVest,  wanted 
at  the  East,  will  not  bear  transportation.  Even  in  the 
State  of  Illinois,  corn,  the  stall*  of  life — needed  at  the  East 
to  fill  hungry  mouths — has  been  burned  for  fuel,  on  the 
score  of  economy,  and  in  Dubuque,  on  the  western  bank  of 
the  Mississippi,  within  the  last  five  years,  corn  in  the  cob 
has  been  burned  for  domestic  purposes  as  cheaper  than 
other  fuel;  the  ruling  price  of  wood  being  $10  per  cord,  and 
of  anthracite  coal  $20  per  ton. 

“The  area  of  country  in  the  AA^est  which  can  be  served  by 
the  Erie  canal  is  continually  decreasing  ; for,  as  the  country 
bordering  on  the  lakes  becomes  settled  up,  the  breadth  ol 
land  under  cultivation  increases,  and  the  x3roduce  from  this 
increased  cultivation,  feeing  m^arer  to  the  lakes,  cuts  off 
that  from  the  far  West  b}^  monopolizing  the  cunal. 

“ To  show  the  inadequacy  of  the  present  means  of  outlet 
for  transmitting  such  a volume  of  produce  as  would  be 
spared  for  market,  we  may  estimate  tlie  maximum  the- 
oretic capacity  of  tlie  Erie  canal  for  through  produce  at 
seven  millions  of  tons  ; we  may  estimate  tlie  utmost 
capacity  of  all  the  railroads  now  leading  across  the  Alleg- 
hanies  at  eight  millions  of  tons,  for  tltTourfli  freights.  It 
would  be  safe,  to  estimate  the  amount  of  AVestern  produce 
which  now  goes  out  by  th(‘  channels  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  the  Lower  Mississippi,  at  four  millions  of  tons.  (The 
capacity  of  the  lower  outlets  of  the  Mississippi  and  of  the 


Liiwri'iico  Tor  (lis(*har;L»iiii>‘  prodiKU',  is,  of  (bourse,  not 
• 111  c<siii‘(hI  bvtlu'  (|uaiitiiy  actually  g‘oini>’  out,  but  riitlua*  l)y 
the  ca])a(Mt>-  of  (‘xistiui>-  a])])liauc('s  for  its  sliipmciit.) 
Thus,  the  utmost  theor(di(*  ea])a(aty  of  these  several  avenues 
of  outh't  (hn'S  uot  exceed  Jh,()0(),()()()  of  tons.  Tlie  quantity 
of  \V('st('ru  thi'ougii  tonnage  actually  moving  over  them  is 
but  little  moix'  than  half  this  amount.  Yettlie  present  ton- 
nage which  could  be  spared  by  the  West  and  winch  could 
b(^  forwarded  to  market,  if  its  products  were  mobilized  by 
cheap  carriage,  and  by  ample  avenues  of  transportation, 
would  be  twenty-live  nnl lions  of  tons.  (See  article  I, 
Ifunfs  Magazine  for  Angust,  1868.)  It  is  not  therefore 
merely  a question,  whether  we  shall  add  new  railroads  to 
those  already  engaged  in  the  work,  or  whether  we  shall 
merely  open  new  canals,  or  whether  we  shall  merely  in- 
crease the  a])pliances  necessary  for  transmitting  pi'odnce 
through  the  lower  Mississippi  and  the  Gnlf.  Resort  must 
be  had  to  all  these  expedients,  and  still  there  will  be  a 
grievous  dehciency  in  the  means  of  conducting  the  vast 
transportation. 

u -X-  -X-  Western  grain  must  find  its  consumers  in 

the  populations  near  the  Atlantic,  and  its  markets  almost 
exclusively  in  Atlantic  ports.  (Great  Britain  alone  imports 
annually  four  millions  of  tons  of  grain.  ) It  must  all  seek 
exit  in  the  direction  of  the  Atlantic  ; its  natural  tendency 
being  to  ])nrsne  the  short  direct  route  due  Eastward,  from 
the  localities  of  i)i'oduction  to  the  seaboard.  There  is  no 
reason  for  believing  that  this  tendenc}^  will  ever  be  reversed 
or  changed.” 

These  remarks  are  applicable  to  the  whole  West  and 
Northwest,  and  are  especially  true  of  that  vast  and  fruit  fid 
territory  included  in  the  water-shed  of  the  Oliio  River  below 
the  Kanawha,  and  the  Mississippi  below  its  union  with  tlie 
Missouri. 

The  early  comy^letion  of  the  Erie  Canal,  and  a 
little  later  the  completion  of  the  railroad  lines  connecting 
Lake  Erie  with  tlie  Hudson,  gave  to  the  navigation  of  tlie 
chain  of  great  lakes  artificial  outlets  to  the  sea,  superior  on 
tlie  whole  to  the  course  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  (broken  as  it  is 
by  rapids  and  canals),  and  drew  the  current  of  Western 
freights  to  that  route.  In  this  way  the  great  collecting  cen- 
tres, such  as  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  Detroit,  Toledo  and  Biif- 


falo  were  built  u]) ; aTain  for  a time  being  drawn  from  B e 
l)anks  of  tlie  Mississippi  and  its  navigable  tributaries  to  tlTc- 
lake  ports  for  slii})ment. 

Tlie  maximum  capacity  of  the  Erie  Canal  and  tlie  other 
outlets  of  lake  freights  to  the  seaboard  has  been  reached,- 
and  this  route  no  longer  meets  the  wants  of  the  merchants 
and  shippers  along  the  Ohio  and  Missippi. 

By  means  of  the  barge  system”  referred  to  in  the  Ke- 
port  quoted  above,  experience  shows  that  it  will  be  practica- 
ble to  make  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  and  Ohio  rivers  the 
most  continuous  and  effective  inland  watei*  route  of  trans- 
portation accessible  to  Western  products;  and  it  has  only 
awaited  favorable  and  economical  rail  connection  with  the 
seaboard,  to  make  it  the  most  available  and  desirable  route 
for  a very  large  producing  region. 

Saint  Paul,  Dubuque,  Burlington,  Daveiiport,  Quincy, 
Saint  Louis,  and  other  i)oints,  which  formerly  shipped 
grain  to  the  Lakes,  are  now  erecting  elevators  and 
constructing  barges  for,  the  conveyance  of  grain  and 
otlier  food  supplies,  in  bulk,  to  those  railroad  lines, 
wliich,  l)y  their  connection  with  these  rivers  at  favor- 
al)le  points,  afford  the  most  convenient  and  economical 
means  of  transportation  to  the  seaboard.  Steam  tow-boats 
of  immense  sLeiigth,  carrying  no  freight,  and  with  fuel 
enough  for  the  round  trip,  are  employed.  Tlie  management 
of  barges  like  tliat  of  freight  cars,  is  independent  of  the 
motive  power.  The  tug  brings  in  a load  of  barges,  and  with- 
out delay  takes  out  another  and  proceeds.  Those  on  the  Min- 
nesota river  tow  30,000  bushels  of  wheat  each,  or  sufficient 
to  till  85  railroad  cars  ; and  on  the  Ohio  river  similar  boats 
tow  (),500  tons  of  coal,  or  many  times  more  than  the  longest 
railroad  trains.  But  few  men  are  required,  and  the  expense 
of  transportation  for  long  distances,  does  not  exceed  that  of 
the  Great  Lakes. 

Hitherto  the  full  advantage  of  this  “ barge  transjiorta- 
tion”  could  not  be ’realized  in  consequence  of  some  of 
the  rail  connections  meeting  it  too  far  West  and  thus  involv- 
ing a long  and  costly  land  carriage  ; while  the  termini  of 


17 


L... 

aiul  obstruciioiis  oH'ored  serious  liiiideraiices,  tiiey  were 
eciiially  unavailable. 

The  Clu'sapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad,  with  its  low  grades 
and  its  more  favorable  ])oint  of  connection  with  the  Ohio 
River,  is,  beyond  all  question,  the  most  available  rail  auxil- 
iary to  the  barge  system,  and  the  most  convenient  and 
cheapest  outlet  to  the  seaboard  for  the  immense  tonnage 
which  the  development  of  that  system  will  concentrate  on 
the  Ohio  River. 

Among  the  special  advantages  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  Railroad  route  for  the  transportation  of  the  surplus 
productions  of  the  West,  and  a corresponding  move- 
ment of  merchandise  in  the  other  direction  which  are 
attracting  the  attention  of  producers  and  shippers,  are  the 
following  : 

I.  Short  Portage  between  the  OGea7i  and  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Piver  Navigation. 

II.  Direct  Railroad  Connections^  in  progress  and  projected.^ 
to  the  chief  Cities  of  the  West. 

III.  Light  Grades  and  Carves. 

lY.  Cheap  Fuel. 

Y.  Genial  Climate. 

I.  Short  Portage  connecting  Important  Water  Lines.  By 
a glance  at  the  map  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  Railroad  has  an  Eastern  terminus  at  the  most  westerly 
tide-water  port  of  the  North  Atlantic  Coast  (Richmond),  or, 
in  other  words,  the  port  of  shipment  which  is  geographi  - 
cally nearest  the  centre  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Yalleys, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  is  nearer  the  open  sea  than  Bal- 
timore. 

The  deep-water  or  extreme  eastern  terminus  of  the  Road 
will  open  directly  upon  the  Chesapeake  Bay  ; by  far  the 
largest,  deepest,  most  commodious  and  secure  harbor  of  the 
entire  Eastern  coast;  the  value  of  which  as  a sheltering 
roadstead,  and  as  a commercial  rendezvous,  is  well  estab- 


18 


lislied.  It  is  always  free  from  ice,  and  vessels  can  e*  [ 
a]id  leave  it  at  all  seasons  of  tlie  year  without  obstructioJ. 
The  sailing  time  between  Hampton  Roads  and  European 
ports  is  no  greater  than  between  New  York  and  the  same 
ports  ; while  it  is  nearer  the  open  sea  than  either  Boston, 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  or  Baltimore.^ 

The  western  terminus  of  the  Road  is  situated  upon  the 
Oliio  River  at  the  point  where  that  stream  begins  its  general 
westerly  course  ; or  in  other  words  the  most  easterly  point 
of  its  navigation  in  proportion  to  the  total  distance  traversed  ; 
below  the  princiiDal  obstructions  to  navigntion,  and  at  the 
head  of  that  jjart  of  the  river  which  is  swollen  by  large 
Southern  affluents,  and  where  longer  seasons  of  navi- 
gation and  better  stages  of  water  are  combined  than  at  any 
point  higher  up. 

Connecting  an  inland  river  system  of  from  12, 000  to  20,000 
miles  of  navigable  streams  with  the  ocean  commerce  of 
the  world  by  a low-grade  route,  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
Railroad  possesses  a very  marked  advantage  for  the  trans- 
portation of  freights  between  the  East  and  West.  Insuffi- 
cient depth  of  water,  shortness  of  navigable  seasons, 
sand-bars,  and  other  obstructions  have,  as  before  stated. 


* Commodore  Maury,  of  Virginia,  better  known  to  science  as  Lieut.  Maury,  from  bis  researches 
on  the  laws  of  currents  and  deep  sea  lore,  speaking  of  the  relative  merits  of  Norfolk  and  New  York  as 
commercial  harbors,  says  of  the  roadstead  in  the  vicinity  of  which  the  deep  water  terminus  of  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  will  be  located,  and  which  is  common  to  vessels  seeking  the  wharves 
at  Norfolk,  Yorktown,  or  Newport  News,  thus  describes  it;  “ Geographically  cbnsidered,  the  har- 
“bors  of  Norfolk  or  Hampton  Roads  and  New  York  occupy  the  most  important  and  commanding  po- 
“sitions  on  the  Atlantic  cost  of  the  United  States.  They  are  more  convenient  to  the  ocean  than  Bal- 
“timore,  Philadelphia  and  Boston  are,  because  they  are  not  so  far  from  the  sea. 

“ Depth  of  water  that  can  be  carried  out,  and  distance  of  the  sea  from 

Hampton  Roads,  distant  15  miles — depth  28  feet 

New  York,  “ 30  “ 3^  fathoms,  23  ‘• 

Boston,  “ 100  “ 3K  “ ^1  “ 

Philadelphia,  “ 100  “ 3^  “ 23  “ 

Baltimore,  “ 160  “ 2^  “ 16  “ 

‘ ‘ Between  the  three  last  and  the  sea  there  is  a tedious  bay  navigation,  but  each  of  the  first  two 
‘is  situated  upon  a well  sheltered  harbor,  that  opens  right  out  upon  the  sea  with  beautiful  offings, 
“those  of  Hampton  Roads  surpa.s.sing  the  others  in  all  the  requirements  of  navigation,  both  as  to 
‘‘facility  of  ingrees  and  egrecs,  certainty  of  land  fall,  depth  of  water,  and  holding  ground.  ” 

He  also  show.s,  that  to  reach  the  Chesapeake,  vessels  cross  the  Gulf  Stream  at  its  narrower  part, 
and  take  advantage  of  the  eddies  on  its  south-eastern  edge;  going  in  the  opposite  direction  to  Europe 
by  following  the  Gulf  Stream  for  a longer  distance,  will  be  helped  along  their  course  50  to  100  miles 
per  day. 


19 


roiidored  tlio  (du'iipcvi'  transportation  of  the  Western  waters 
almost  nnavaihibU^  in  connection  with  the  other  great  East 
and  AYest  lines  of  Railway  and  have  driven  tliein,  each  in 
turn,  to  rely  upon  all-rail  lines  almost  exclusively. 

For  a good  portion  of  the  year,  Steamers  and  barges  can 
leave  the  Hunting  bon  wharves  and  proceed  continuously  to 
New  Orleans  and  Shreveport  in  Louisiana,  Natchez,  Vicks- 
burg and  Yazoo,iii  Mississippi  ; Little  Rock  and  Jackson- 
port,  in  Arkansas ; Memphis,  Nashville  and  Johnsville,  in 
Tennessee ; Cairo,  Peoria,  Alton  and  Quincy  in  Illinois  ; 
Saint  Louis,  and  Saint  Joseph  in  Missouri ; Leavenworth  in 
Kansas;  Omaha  and  Sioux  City,  in  Nebraska;  Saint  Paul  and 
Lacrosse, in  Minnesota;  Davenport,  Dubuque  and  Burlington 
in  Iowa  ; Evansville  and  New  Albany,  in  Indiana  ; Paducah 
Louisville  and  Covington,  in  Kentucky  ; Cincinnati,  Ports- 
mouth and  Ironton,  in  Ohio.  The  tonnage  of  steamers  and 
barges  plying  on  those  streams  and  other  tributaries  by 
the  latest  return,  was  448,000  tons,  of  which  287,360  tons 
was  propelled  by  steam. 

Among  the  leading  products  of  the  Western  States  which 
can  be  cheaply  brought  to  the  seaboard  by  the  water  line  to 
Huntington,  and  thence  by  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Rail- 
road to  the  coasting  or  foreign  vessels,  to  great  advantage, 
are  wheat,  Indian  corn,  flour,  pork,  live  stock,  tobacco  and 
cotton.  The  available  suiqjlus  of  grain  from  the  territory 
naturally  tributary  to  the  Ohio  and  Mississix)pi  Rivers, 
amounts  to  millions  of  tons.  Tlie  figures  showing  receipts 
of  flour,  wheat  and  corn,  at  lake  x)orts,  and  at  the  river 
cities,  will  give  some  idea  of  the  actual  movement  of 
breadstuff s.  But  this  falls  far  short  of  the  capacity  of 
the  same  region  to  furnish  breadstuft’s  when  the  cost  of 
transx)ortation  will  justify  their  x>i'oduction  and  shipment. 
The  number  of  cattle,  slieej)  and  hogs  which  find  their  way 
to  the  Eastern  cities  is  not  readily  obtainable,  but  the  re- 
cei])ts  and  shi^jments  of  cut-meats  and  salted  jjrovisions,  and 
the  number  of  hogs  slaughtered  at  the  x)rincix3al  x)acking 

* Should  it  be  found  desirable,  the  Railroad  can  take  the  traffic  from  river  barges  and  boats  at 
the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Kanawha,  at  a point  87  miles  east  of  Huntington.  This  would 
lengthen  somewhat  the  proportion  of  the  cheaper  water  transport  but  would  reduce  the  land  carnage 
to  Richmond  to  336  miles. 


20 


centres  will  give  an  idea  of  the  immense  tonnage  from  pro- 
visions alone. 

The  total  production  of  Tobacco  in  nine  Western  States  is 
stated  at  171  millions  of  pounds,  the  greater  part  of  which 
finds  market  and  manufactive  at  the  Eastern  cities,  and  a 
large  portion  to  Europe.  The  tobacco  receipts  at  Louisville 
for  a single  year  (1870)  were  23,000  hhds,  valued  at 
$4,823,000.  The  receipts  of  Cincinnati,  Evansville,  and  St. 
Louis  are  j^robably  as  much  more  ; the  inspections  at  Cin- 
cinnati alone  in  .872,  being  25,035  liiids. 

In  1870,  it  was  ascertained  that  no  less  than  350,000  bales 
of  cotton  were  sent  overland  by  rail  from  the  river  cities  to 
the  seaports  of  the  IS’orth. 

For  the  transportation  of  corn  bacon,  bulk  meat,  &c., 
from  Cincinnati  and  other  Western  markets  to  the  South 
Atlantic  States,  where  very  large  quantities  of  these  pro- 
ducts are  consumed,  it  affords  a far  quicker  and  more 
economical  route  than  has  heretofore  been  open  to  that 
extensive  trade. 

The  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad,  with  its  connecting 
water  lines,  at  either  terminus,  offers  special  inducements  to 
shippers,  all  the  above  products  destined  to  either  home  or 
foreign  markets. 

(2.)  Short  All-Rail  routes  to  the  Western  Cities.  The 
advantages  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  for 
through  business  are  not  confined  to  its  favorable  connec- 
tion with  water  lines  merely,  nor  to  the  carriage  of  freights 
alone.  With  the  various  rail  connections,  now  in  progress 
and  projected,  previously  referred  to,  it  will  afford  the  bes:^ 
eastward  exit  and  entrance  of  the  Ohio  Valley,  whether 
considered  in  relation  to  available  water  transport  or  to 
continous  railroad  routes.  Both  in  distance  and  other 
working  elements,  it  is  a short,  economical  line  between  the 
seaboard  and  the  principal  cities  and  railroad  centres  of  the 
Western  States,  and  forms  the  most  advantageous  outlet  to 
the  Ocean  for  an  immense  system  of  Railroads  extending 
soutiiward  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  northward  to  the  chain 
of  great  Lakes,  and  westward  to  the  Pacific  ocean. 


21 


For  passoiigei’P,  or  ex])r(\ss  fn^igliis  destiiied  ])eyond 
seas,  and  ('S})eciaJly  for  such  as  are  broiight  ov^eiland  Ironi 
tin'  Pacilic,  it  airords  a direct  route  to  the  open  sea 
without  loss  of  distance. 

The  following  table  will  illustrate  tlie  general  directness 
of  this  route,  and  show  the  comparative  distances  between 
the  several  tide-water  ports,  and  the  chief  cities  of  the  West 
and  Southwest.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  advantage  ranges 
from  30  to  300  miles  in  distance,  and  covers  the  principal 
cities,  with  the  exceptions  of  Chicago  and  Columbus, 
where  there  is  a trilling  excess  over  two  other  lines,  if  linear 
measurement  only  is  reckoned.  With  a due  equation  of 
grades  it  wiil  be  found  to  afford  the  shortest  and  best  route 
‘to  the  seaboard  even  from  those  points. 

Table  smowixg  Comparative  Distances  between^ Atlantic  Ports^and  Princi- 
pal Western  Railroad  Centres  by  All-Rail  Travel^  by  CHESAPEAKE 
AND  OHIO  RAILROAD  and  its  Projected  Connections  and  by  more 
Northerly  Routes. 


MILES  FROM  PORT  OF 

To  Cincinnati. 

To  Louisville.  1 

1 

To  St.  Louis. 

To  Memphis. 

To  Nashville,  [ 

To  Columbus,  0. 

To  Indianapolis. 

To  Chicago.  | 

Richmond,  via  dies,  and  Ohio. . 

573 

*640 

*890 

1017 

825 

564 

688 

832 

Baltimore,  via  Balt,  and  Ohio,  ...  

591 

699 

931 

1076 

884 

517 

1 

1 705 

828 

Philadelphia,  via  Penn.  R.  R 

068 

775 

992 

1152 

960 

548 1 

736 

823 

New  York,  via  Erie  Railway. 

861 

997 

1201 

1354 

1182 

755 

935 

983 

New  York,  via  N.  Y.  Central 

883 

940 

1144 

1354 

1176 

761 

830 

980 

Boston,  via  N.  Y.  Central 

941 

998 

1202 

1426 

1234 

829 

888 

1038 

* Will  be  shortened  13  miles  by  improvements  now  in  progress. 


Between  all  yioints  of  the  West  or  Southwest  and  Wash- 
ington City — to  which  place  as  the  National  Capital  there 
must  always  be  a large  passenger  travel — the  Chesapeake 
and  Ohio,  with  its  projected  rail  connections  completed,  will 


92 


afford  the  shortest  and  best  communication ; and  Chicago, 
Omaha,  and  points  in  the  Northwest  may  adopt  it  with 
advantage.  Comparing  the  distances  between  Washington 
and  the  large  cities  of  the  West,  over  the  several  routes,  we 
find  a saving  of  from  20  to  90  miles,  in  favor  of  the  Chesa- 
peake and  Ohio  Route. 


TABLE  showing  the  distances  between  Washington  and  Western  cities  via  the 
Chesapeake  and  Oliio  and  other  routes. 


Distance 

From  Washington,  via 

TO 

CINCINNATI. 

TO 

LOUISVILLE. 

TO 

MEMPHIS. 

TO 

NASHVILLE. 

TO 

ST.  LOUIS. 

TO 

CHICAGO. 

Chesapeake  & Ohio  Railroad 

593 

j 

660 

1,037 

845 

910 

852 

Baltimore  & Ohio  Railroad 

613  1 

720 

1,097 

905 

953 

852 

Pennsylvania  Central  Railroad 

646  1 

753 

1,130 

938 

989 

842 

Between  New  York  and  Southwestern  cities,  the  advan- 
tages of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Route  are  as  decided  for 
passenger  travel  as  for  the  transportation  of  freights. 
From  Saint  Louis,  Cincinnati  and  points  further  South, 
it  will  be  nearer  to  New  York  than  the  Erie  or  Lake  Shore 
routes.  Estimating  the  infinence  of  difference  in  grades,  it 
will  also  be  shorter,  in  time,  between  the  same  points  than 
either  the  Pennsylvania  or  Maryland  lines. 

From  New  Orleans,  Memphis,  and  the  lower  Mississippi, 
the  Chesapeake  & Ohio  is  the  most  direct  and  , quickest 
route  to  all  points  along  the  seaboard. 


Distance  from  New  York, 

VIA 

TO 

LOUISVILLE. 

MILES. 

TO 

MEMPHIS. 

M-LES. 

TO 

ST.  LOUIS. 

i 

M ES. 

TO 

|nEW  ORLEANS. 

Chesapeake  and  Ohio  R.R.  via  Wash’n.. 

888 

1,265 

1,138 

1,394 

Erie  Railway,  via  A & G.  W .... 

997 

1.354 

1,201  ' 

1,751 

N.  Y.  Central,  via  Lake  Shore  and  M.S. 

940 

1,354 

1,260  1 

1 ! 

1,694 

III.  Licflit  Grades.  The  line  of  the  Chesapeake  & Ohio 
Railroad  is  remarkable  for  the  uniformity  and  lightness  of 
its  grades.  From  the  W estern  terminus  of  the  Road  at  the 


23 


[ 


Oliio  TJiver,  to  tlio  suiviinil  of  ilio  AlIc’^lKniioE^,  20S  miles, 
the  grade's  ai‘c  Avillioid  jiotieeable  (nuliilatioii,  and  with  a 
nearly  iinildnn  ascc'iit,  avei aging  K)  h^et  ])er  mile,  and 
in  no  ease  exee'eding  30  feet  pen'  mile,  oi*  1 iji  ITb.  From  the 
summit  eastward  to  (Mifton  I^'oi'ge,  wdiercthe  line  crosses  the 
waters  of  the  James  Elver,  a further  distance  of  23  miles, 
tlu'  grades  are  descending,  iiowliere  exceeding  GO  feet  per 
mile.  On  tlie  remainder  of  the  line  to  Eiclimond  the 
average  grades  are  light,  there  being  less  than  ten  miles,  in 
all,  exceeding  60  feet ; and  at  these  points  a reduction  to 
the  maximum  of  60  feet  is  practicable. 

The  full  force  of  this  advantage  and  of  long  stretches  of 
level,  or  nearly  level,  track  may  be  better  understood  by 
the  statement  that  the  same  freight  engine  will  be  able  to 
leave  Huntington  on  the  Ohio  Elver  with  its  maximnm 
load  (of  say  50'’cars),  and  proceedwithout  interruption  east- 
wardly  for  231  miles,  across  the  summit  of  the  Alleghanies, 
at  a nearly  uniform  speed,  without  encountering  any  op- 
posing grade  of  over  30  feet  per  mile,  and  without  requir- 
ing any  auxiliary  power. 

Other  east  and  west  Trunk  lines  are  now  resorting  to 
every  practicable  expedient,  and  preparing  to  expend  large 
sums,  to  reduce  tlieir  grades,  which  in  some  cases  are  as 
liigli  as  120  feet  per-  mile. 

In  the  carriage  of  heavy  freights,  siicli  as  produce,  coal, 
iron,  and  other  minerals,  as  well  as  of  ]nissengers  and  the 
“quick-despatch”  frchghts,  low  grades  are  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance both  to  th('  rapidity  and  the  economy  of  transporta- 
tion. The  following  table,  compiled  from  the  published 
data  of  a large  locomotive  manufacturing  establishment,  in 
Philadelphia,  gives  the  i*el alive  liauling  ])ower  of  freight 
engines  over  different  grades,  showing  a very  rapid  loss  of 
power  as  the  grades  increase^ : 

“]\rOGUL”  FllEIGITT  LOCOMOTIVE. 


Maximum  load  on  level  ,i>:rade 1,400  tons. 

“ “ 20  leet  655  “ 

“ “ 40  “ : 415  “ 

“ ‘ 00  “ 300  “ 

“ “ 80  “ 230  “ 

“ 100  “ 180  “ 


24: 


lY.  Cheap  Fuel^  &c.  In  the  supplies  of  equipment 
machinery,  rolling  stock,  castings  and  wronght-irons,  tim- 
ber, fire- wood,  lubricating  oils,  and  other  items,  involving 
large  expenditure  for  the  operation  and  maintenance  of 
railroads,  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Kailroad  has  very 
decided  advantages.  The  “Tredegar”  engine  and  car 
works,  one  of  the  largest  establishments  of  the  kind  in  the 
country,  is  situated  at  one  end  of  the  line  ; and  the  Com- 
pany’s principal  locomotive  and  machine  shops,  and  the 
“Ensign”  car- wheel  works  are  established  at  the  other 
end  ; the  iron  and  coal  being  drawn  to  each  of  them  from 
the  furnaces  and  mines  along  the  line  of  the  road.  Timber, 
of  all  desired  sorts,  borders  the  line;  the  oils  of  West 
Virginia  are  the  best  known  for  railroad  uses ; labor  is 
cheaper  than  the  average  cost  elsewhere. 

In  fuel  for  locomotives,  which  is  one  of  the  largest  items 
of  expense  in  railroad  operation,  it  has  unrivalled  advan- 
tages. The  best  steam  coals  abound  in  thick  seams 
in  close  proximity  to  and  above  the  level  of  its  track  ; and 
can  be  supplied  to  its  locomotives  at  the  bare  cost  of  hand- 
ling. It  is  believed  that  the  Company’ s entire  supply  can  be 
furnished  for  an  indefinite  period  at  from  one  dollar  to 
one  dollar  and  a half  per  ton,  or  from  one -half  to  one-fourth 
the  average  cost  of  fuel  to  other  lines. 

V.  Genial  Climate.  Lying  along  and  near  the  38th  par- 
allel of  latitude,  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Road  enjoys  a 
mild  and  equable  climate,  exempt  from  extremes  of  heat  or 
cold.  The  winters  are  much  shorter  and  more  temperate 
than  in  Pennsylvania  or  New  York.  There  is  never  any 
obstruction  from  deep  snows,  nor  liability  to  interruption 
from  extreme  frosts.  Tlie  losses  to  which  more  north- 
erly lines  are  subjected,  and  the  delays  and  disadvantages 
to  shij)pers  resulting  from  these  causes  in  winter,  will  be 
unknown  upon  this  route  ; and  its  general  and  uninter- 
rupted freedom  from  obstruction  and  delays  during  the 
seasons  when  the  efficiency  of  some  of  the  most  important 
routes  is  more  or  less  impaired,  will  render  it  the  most  de- 
sirable winter  route  for  both  freights  and  travel. 


55 


Statisticis  sliow  that  tiu'  navigiitioii  of  t]i(3  Viigiiiia  Canal 
during  tlu' 50  yc'ars,  1851-1871,  was  sus])(‘n(lod  by  ice  and 
other  cliinatic  causes,  for  an  a,v('rag(^  jxu’iod  of  only  15 
days  ; and  for  sev(‘ral  years  in  suc(;ession  it  was  not  inter- 
rupted at  nil.  Th('  average  period  of  suspension  on  the  Erie 
Canal  was  from  00  to  150  days,  and  has  reached  150  days. 


26 


Resources  a^d  Attractioxs  of  the  Country  along  the 
Route  of  the  Chesapeake  anh  Ohio  Railroad. 

The  region  traversed  by  the  Cliesapeake  and  Ohio  Rail- 
road is  by  reason  of  its  natural  advantages  of  soil,  climate 
and  agricultural  and  mineral  wealth,  one  of  the  most  attrac- 
tive and  inviting  in  the  United  States,  and  offers  at  the  pre- 
sent time  probably  greater  opportunities  for  the  active  and 
profitable  employment  of  capital  and  labor  than  almost  any 
other  section  of  our  country. 

It  abounds  in  almost  every  element  of  material  pros- 
perity, health  and  enjoyment,  and  opens  to  tourists,  capital- 
ists, coal  operators,  iron  workers,  manufacturers,  mechanics 
and  farmers  a field  unequalled  in  the  great  variety  and  rare 
combination  of  its  advantages. 

Many  of  the  remarkable  resources  peculiar  to  the  region 
traversed  by  the  more  recently  opened  portion  of  the  road, 
though  long  known  to  scientitic  men  and  explorers,  have, 
in  the  absence  of  available  communication,  been  heretofore 
secluded  to  a great  extent  from  practical  utility  and  devel- 
opment, and  from  popular  knowledge. 

Tlie  completion  of  the  railroad  gives  to  them  at  once  a 
new  interest  and  importance,  renders  them  accessible  to 
capital  and  industry,  and  brings  them  into  quick  and  econo- 
mical communication  with  the  great  centres  of  consumption 
and  commerce. 

So  great  is  the  inhu'est  whicli  tlie  opening  of  the  Rail- 
road has  awakened  throughout  this  country  and  in  Europe, 
and  (‘Specially  m England,  res])ecting  tlie  advantages  for 
settlement ; the  op])Oi'tuiiities  for  the  investment  of  capital 
in  the  juirchase  and  ch'velopment  of  agricultural,  iron,  coal 
and  timber  lands,  and  the  facilities  foi*  business  enterprise, 
along  file  roide  ; and  so  numerous  are  th(H‘n(piiries  addressed 
to  us  for  more  spe(*itic  and  (hdailed  infoiination  than  has 
heretofore  ])e(‘n  giv(‘n  in  condensed  and  collecb'd  form,  that 
w(‘  present  in  the  following  pages  a liriid  and  comprehen- 
siv{‘  sk(dch  of*  some  of  tluMuost  important  of  these  resources 
and  advantages,  and  their  ])i*ominent  localities,  with  some 


27 


(liroctioiis  nnd  ror(M*(MiC('s  rnlriilntod  to  be  of  interest  and 
service'  to  ]H'rsons  de'siring  to  visit  or  investipi:ate  tliem. 

A mon  o-  tbe  most  conspicuous  and  a vailatde  are  : 

(1)  Soils  of  great  variety  and  fertility^  adapted  to  every 
hrancJi  of  luishandry^  field ^ fruit  and.  vine  culture^  a.nd  the  rais- 
ing of  live  stoeli  ’ forests  of  the  best  Oah\  Yellow  Pine^  Walnut^ 
Poplar  and  other  valuable  Timber^  vntli  an  admirable  climate^ 
and  choice  farm  and  timher  lands  at  moderate  prices. 

(2)  Extensive  deposits  of  Iron  Ores  of  great  variety  and 
richness^  with  abundance  of  limestone.  Timber,  cheap  fuel,  and 
other  conditions  for  the  jrrofitable  mamfaciure  of  Iron. 

(3)  The  great  Kanaveha  Coal  fields,  containing  the  best  Can- 
nel.  Splint  and  Bit/uminoiis  Coals  in  veins  of  remarkable  thick- 
ness and  purity,  situated  above  the  level  of  the  Railroad,  and 
accessible  at  a very  low  cost  for  mining. 

(4)  Salt  Wells,  Roofing  Slates,  Cement,  Gyps^im.,  Clays  and 
other  miscellaneo'us  minerals  of  commerce,  and  superior  materials 
and  advantages  for  the  production  of  Soda-ash,  Bromine,  (&o., 

(5)  Favor aPe  locations,  and  the  material  accessible  at  a.  low 
cost,  for  almost  every  variety  of  manufacture  and  mechanical 
industry,  Water  Power,  dw. 


(1)  Soils  and  Agkicttltitral  Lands. 

In  its  course  from  the  ocean  to  tlu'  Oliio  River,  the 
Chesapeake  and  Oliio  Railroad  yiasses  (‘enti'ally  ’ through 
the  two  great  States  of  Virginia  and  West  Virginia, 
touching  some  of  the  oldest  and  largest  towns  and 
cities,  and  passing  through  some  of  the  richest  and 
most  productive  lands,  embracing  neai'ly  all  varieties 
of  soil,  herbage,  and  climate  to  be  found  within  the 
tern pera te  latitudes. 

The  g(‘ological  formation,  the  topogi-aphical  features,  the 
water- shed  and  tlu'  (devation  above  sea-level  give  to  the 
several  yiortions  of  the  tei'ritory  distinctive  (*hai‘acteristics 
which  have  caused  them  to  be  designated  separately  as  the 


28 


‘‘Tide- water,”  the  ‘‘Middle,”  “ the  Piedmont,”  the  “Blue 
Kidge,”  the  “Valley,”  the  “Mountain”  or  “Appalachian,” 
and  the  “ Trans- Appalachian  or  “Ohio  Valley”  regions; 
each  and  all  of  which  have  unusual  agricultural  attractions, 
and  are  suited  to  the  widest  I’ange  of  agricultural  pursuits. 

T}>e  Tide-vmter  Region^  consists  of  a series  of  extended 
peninsulas,  whose  sides  are  washed  by  the  Chesapeake  Bay, 
and  tidal  rivers  (most  of  them  navigable),  affording  a long 
and  irregular  coast  line,  with  easy  access  ro  the  markets  of 
the  seaboard,  and  to  the  interior  towns  and  cities.  The 
land  is  well  drained  ; generally  free  from  marsh,  with  a 
soil  of  clay,  marl,  and  sand,  and  an  overgrowth  of  pine 
and  oak. 

The  principal  item  of  land  culture  in  this  region  is 
market  gardening,  for  which  it  is  well  adapted  ; the 
spring  season  in  the  warm  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  ISTorfolk, 
Newport  News  and  Yorktown  opening  by  the  first  of 
February.  The  annual  shipment  of  early  vegetables  to  New 
York  by  sea  is  estimated  at  $20,000,000,  exclusive  of  the 
amount  sent  inland,  and  the.  trade  is  steadily  increasing. 

A large  amount  of  farming  land  is  under  cultivation, 
the  staple  crops  being  Indian  corn,  wheat,  potatoes, 
sweet  potatoes,  and  peanuts.  In  one  of  the  counties, 
bordering  on  the  James  Biver,  the  average  yield  of  wheat, 
for  the  plantation,  was  35  bushels  per  acre.  Orchard 
fruits  are  also  grown  and  shipped,  to  a large  extent. 

Good  farming  lands  are  to  be  had  at  points  along  the 
peninsula  bounded  by  the  York  and  James  Bivers,  at  prices 
varying  from  $10  to  $50  per  acre,  according  to  their  prox- 
imity to  the  navigable  channels,  or  to  the  railroad  line. 
Labor  is  a])undant,  and  the  cost  of  living  low.  The  “ marl” 
found  but  a short  distance  inland,  and  the  limestone  crossed 
by  the  railroad  can  be  cheaply  and  abundantly  supplied 
as  fei  tilizers,  and  an  unlimited  market  invites  to  the  rapid 
expansion  of  the  industries  of  this  and  the  adjacent 
n'gion. 


r 


20 


wiitors  oC  this  Bay,  a-rul  its  iiinrKa’ous  indcaitatioiis 
are  almost  as  valiiabh'  to  (‘.onimeiHu^ as  the  lands  ; th(i  (exten- 
sive oyster  l)eds  and  iish(‘ri(‘s  being-  among  th(‘  best  in 
America.  Oysb'rs  are  slup})ed  from  Norfolk  and  vicinity 
to  eastern  seaboard  cities  in  ini inense  quantities.  The  total 
amount  draAvn  from  tlu^se  wabu'S  annually  is  estimab'd  at 
80, 000, 000  bushels  ; the  state  tax  being  collected  on  20,000,- 
000  bushels.  Large  quantities  of  oysters,  as  well  as  of  shad, 
herring,  and  other  tish,  are  now  sent  to  the  cities  of  the  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  A Alleys,  by  the  Railroad. 

The  location  of  the  deep  water  terminus  of  the  Chesa- 
peake and  Ohio  Railroad,  near  the  extremity  of  the  chief 
peninsula  of  this  tide- water  region  between  the  York  and 
James  Rivers,  and  the  growth  of  an  important  seaport  at 
that  point,  will  impart  a new  activity  to  all  that  region,  and 
greatly  increase  the  value  of  its  productive  resources. 

The  jSIiddle  Country  has  a width  of  about  sixty  miles, 
and  an  area,  of  12,000  square  miles.  The  rivers  of 
the  interior  and  the  tidal  waters  of  the  ocean  meet  at  its 
eastern  edge,  as  the  former  fall  over  the  uplifted  granite 
rim,  bringing  together  navigable  water  courses  to  the  sea 
and  numerous  and  etfective  water- powers,  and  making  of 
inland  seaports,  advantageous  sites  for  manufacturing,  mill- 
ling,  and  other  industries.  The  James  River  falls  about  70  feet 
near  Richmond,  yi(3lding  a power  for  milling  purposes  ex- 
ceeding that  of  Lowell. 

The  surface  of  the  country  consists  of  slight  undula- 
tions, with  a gradual  ascent  to  500  feet  above  sea  level 
at  its  western  border  at  the  South  West  Mountain,  as  it  is 
locally  called,  a low,  outlying  ridge,  having  a general  eleva- 
tion about  500  feet  above  the  plain  at  its  base,  whose  sides 
and  summits  are,  for  the  most  part,  arable  land.  The 
soils  formed  from  a variety  of  rocks,  are  various,  ranging 
from  the  light  brown  of  the  ridges,  to  the  rich,  dark  brown  of 
the  bottom  lands. 

The  principal  farm  products  are  wheat,  corn,  flax, 
grass  seeds,  sweet  potatoes,  oats  and  tobacco,  with  a 


80 


large  representation  of  cattle  sheep,  etc.  The  three 
counties  of  Henrico,  Hanover,  and  Louisa,  of  this  belt, 
wliich  are  traversed  by  the  railroad,  may  be  taken  as  speci- 
mens of  the  average.  Their  productions  were,  according  to 
the  census  of  1870  : 


Acres  improved,  .........  315,196 

Acres  unimproved,  .........  302,564 

Cash  value  of  farms,  ....  ...  $11,055,990 

Value  of  all  live  stock,  . 818,209 

Wheat  crop  (bushels), 329,859 

Com  crop  (bushels),  ........  504,625 

Tobacco  (pounds), 1,380,835 


In  1860  the  average  production  of  tobacco,  was  246  pounds 
to  each  inhabitant.  The  average  value  of  farms  in  21  counties, 
was,  in  1860,  $12.50  per  acre.  Lands  in  these  counties  are 
held  at  low  prices,  improved  lands  being  obtainable  at  from 
15  to  20  dollars  per  acre.  'No  part  of  the  belt  is  distant 
more  than  10  or  12  hours  from  the  tidewater  ports  by  rail- 
road, and  it  is  thus  within  easy  reacli  of  good  markets. 

The  poorest  of  the  soils  may  be  enriched  by  the  abundance 
of  the  marl  or “ green  sand,’’  a fossil  manure  of  great  value, 
which  is  found  and  worked  along  the  course  of  this  railroad, 
the  beds  having  in  places  a depth  of  15  feet.  More  than  a 
million  tons  per  annum  of  the  same  description  of  marl 
have  been  dug  and  distributed  in  the  State  of  Now  Jer- 
sey, (Monmouth  county  alone  furnishing  600,  (JOO  tons),  where 
its  value  as  a fertilizer  is  well  understood,  and  creates  a 
large  demand  for  it  at  high  rates. 

The  gathering  and  grinding  of  sumac  leaves,  found  in 
abundance  in  this  and  other  sections  of  Virginia,  along  the 
route  of  the  railroad,  is  another  important  source  of  profit 
to  farmers.  Tlie  value  of  tlie  extracted  dye-stuff  is 
superior  to  tliat  of  Si(fily,  and  it  commands  a higli  price  in 
English  markets.  The  demand  for  it  is  almost  unlimited, 
the  importations  into  the  United  States  being  2,000,000 
pounds  annually. 


;^i 

Tiiquiric'S  coiicvruino*  hinds  Indd  Ioj*  sal(‘  in  Eastxu'n  Vir- 
ginia, a(ljac('nt  to  iln^  liiu^  of  railroad,  may  Ixi  address(3d  to 
(lon.  Wins.  C.  Wicdvluun,  tlio  Vico  Pi'osidimtof  the  Company, 
at  Riclimoiid. 

The  PiedmoQtt  Region^  as  its  name  indicates,  consists  of 
tlie  foot  slope  of  the  Blue  liidge,  and  is  divided  into  a tier 
of  counties  covering  an  area  of  6,000  square  miles.  There 
were  in  1860  some  2,000,000  acres  in  cultivation.  About  the 
same  quantity  unimproved  was  inclosed  in  farms,  leaving 
over  half  a million  acres  as  wild  land.  These  proportions  had 
not  greatly  changed  up  to  1870  ; but  of  late  there  has  been  a 
considerable  influx  of  immigrants  from  the  northern  States 
and  Europe,  who  have  been  enabled  to  purchase  improved 
estates,  with  fences  and  good  buildings  on  them  at  from 
$15  to  $50  per  acre,  including  improvements. 

It  is  crossed  by  the  Railroad  in  Albemarle  County  in  a 
distance  of  twenty-flve  miles.  It  includes  several  spurs  or 
ridges  lying  within  the  enclosing  hills,  all  of  them  arable  to 
their  summits.  By  soil,  climate,  scenery,  chemical  con- 
stituents, and  distribution  of  water,  these  lands  are  enti- 
tled to  rank  among  the  finest  in  America.  The  variety  and 
exuberance  of  the  productions  attest  their  capacity  for  agri- 
culture. The  soil  is  for  the  most  part  a friable,  red  crumbling 
loam,  very  easily  worked. 

To  a population  of  202,282  in  thirteen  counties,  according 
to  the  census  of  1860,  there  were  over  $7,500,000  worth 
of  live  stock  ; eight  millions  of  bushels  of  cereals,  or 
forty  bushels  per  capita,  were  raised,  and  of  tobacco 
24,000,000  pounds,  or  120  pounds  per  individual.  The 
grasses,  grains  and  orchard  fruits  of  this  part  of  Virginia 
are  celebrated.  Prof.  Ridgway,  in  a Gleological  Report  of 
this  region,  says : 

“The  Piedmont  District,  in  AlbemarD  und  Nelson  Counties,  has  a 
“mixed  subsoil,  rich  in  fertilizing  ingredients,  such  as  lime,  magnesia, 
“potash,  oxide  of  iron,  &c.,  derived  from  the  rocks  beneath.  Hence 
“wheat,  corn,  oats,  tobacco,  the  natural  Virginia  blue  grass,  English 
“sward,  clover,  timothy,  orchard  and  herd’s  grasses  flourish  luxuriantly  ; 


82 


“also  fruits  of  various  kinds,  the  pippin  apple,  pear,  and  grape  attaining 
“unusual  dimensions,  flavor  and  perfection.” 

By  the  census  of  1860,  Albemarle  County  showed  a 
population  of  26,000;  with  700  square  miles  of  territory, 
half  of  which  was  enclosed  in  900  farms,  500  of  which 
contained  over  500  acres  each.  Its  annual  products  were  : 


Wheat,  Corn  and  Oats — (bushels)  ....  1,250,000 

Tobacco — (pounds)  5,500,000 

Potatoes — (bushels) 40,000 

Wool — (pounds) 40,000 

Butter — (pounds)  .......  200,000 

Live  Stock— (head) 60,000 

Value  of  products  of  farms, ^2,000,000 


The  Blue  Ridge  Country  has  the  same  general  charac- 
teristics, of  the  Piedmont  and  Valley  districts,  and  these  to- 
gether form  pre-eminently  the  Fruit  and  Grain  region  of 
Virginia. 

Major  Hotchkiss,  of  the  University  of  Washington  and 
Lee,  in  a paper  on  “The  Eesources  of  Virginia,”  read  before 
the  Society  of  Arts  in  London,  and  reported  in  the  Journal 
of  the  Society  in  February,  1873,  in  referring  to  this  section, 
says  : 

“ Some  3,000  square  miles,  or  two  million  acres,  of  Virginian  territory 
“pertain  to  the  Blue  Ridge — a region  twice  the  size  of  your  Sussex — most 
“ of  it  covered  with  a fine  growth  of  original  oak,  hickory,  chestnut,  and 
“ tulip-poplar  forest,  with  here  and  there  a valuable  grazing  or  fruit  farm, 
“ a patch  of  lighter  green  on  the  sides  or  summits.  These  greenstone 
“rocks,  as  is  well  known,  crumble  into  soils  rich  in  color  and  in  the  ele- 
“ments  of  fertility — soils  especially  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  vine,  such 
“ as  most  of  the  world’s  great  vineyards  are  situated  upon.  The  forests  of 
“the  Blue  Ridge  abound  in  grape  vines  of  a large  size  and  very  produc- 
“tive — the  originals  of  the  Catawba,  Norton’s  Virginia,  and  other  well- 
“ known  American  grapes  ; and  thousands  of  gallons  of  brandy  are  annu- 
“ally  distilled  from  these  by  dwellers  along  the  mountain — one  man 
“ having  made  11,000  gallons  in  a season.  Recalling  what  was 
“ said  of  the  topography  of  this  range,  it  will  be  seen  that  almost 
‘ ‘ any  aspect  can  be  chosen  for  a vineyard  ; the  soil  has  a special  adapta- 
‘ ‘ tion  to  the  vine,  the  latitude  —that  of  France — gives  length  of  season, 
“while  the  elevation,  above  the  “frost  line”  of  the  valleys,  secures  the 


“ niaturity  of  tho  griipo— nil  iiidiapciiHiiblo  rocpiisitc  for  the  production  of 
“ good  wine.  Numerous  vineyards  arc  now  in  successful  oiieration  ; at 
“ Indiuoiit,  near  Front  Ivoyal,  is  one,  covering  some  seventy-five  acres, 

“ tliat  has  now  an  annual  yield  of  20,000  gallons  of  wine,  the  ijure  juice  of 
“ the  grape,  and  10,000  gallons  of  brandy,  the  vines  that  are  in  fullbearing 
“ yielding  from  300  to  500  gallons  of  wine  io  the  acre.  The  grapes  are 
“ notablj^  rich  in  saccharine  matter,  and  diseases  of  the  vine  are  unknown. 
“Nearly  a million  acres  here  are  adapted  to  this  culture,  and  offer  a 
“ pleasant  and  profitable  field,  and  a virgin  soil  in  a most  genial  climate 
‘ ‘ for  this  leading  industry. 

“ This  section  has  also  an  established  reputation  as  a fruit-producing 
“ one, — its  apples,  pears,  peaches,  and  other  temperate  climate  fruits 
‘ ‘ attain  a flavor  and  perfection  rarely  equalled  elsewhere  ; its  Albemarle 
‘ ‘ pippins  command  prices  that  have  induced  the  planting  of  large  orchards 
‘ ‘ of  that  single  variety.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  500  bushels  to  be 
“ gathered  from  an  acre,  and  an  English  eighteen  pence  per  bushel  would 
“ yield  a large  profit  to  the  orchardist.  The  day  is  not  distant  when  Blue 
“ Ridge  apples  will  form  a stai^le  article  of  exj)ort  to  Europe,  and  one  of 
“the  greatest  blessings  that  can  be  conferred  upon  any  people  is  an  abun- 
“ dance  of  cheap  fruits  to  take  the  place  of  stimulating  drinks.” 

As  lias  been  stated,  there  is  still  abundance  of  unimproved 
land  for  sale  in  this  section,  and  here  and  there  are  im- 
proved farms  which  may  be  had  at  prices  which,  thongh 
higher  than  those  further  east  and  further  west  on  the  lin(‘ 
of  the  road,  are  nevertheless  comparatively  cheap  in  view 
of  their  natural  advantages  and  nearness  to  market. 


11  te  y alley  Beg  ion.  Between  tlie  Bine  Ridge  and  the 
next  range  of  hills  to  the  west  lies  the  Shenandoah  Valley^ 
or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  "‘The  Great  Valley”  or  the 
“Limestone  Valley  of  Virginia.”  It  is  a continuation  of  the 
famous  Goshen  Valley  of  New  York  State,  and  the  Lebanon 
and  Cumberland  Valleys  of  Pennsylvania,  though  having- 
far  greater  dimensions.  It  is  crossed  by  the  Chesapeake 
and  Ohio  Railroad  in  a distance  of  35  miles.  At  Staunton 
the  Valley  has  an  elevation  above  sea-level  of  1,100  feet, 
and  is  shut  in  and  sheltered  by  enclosing  ridges  3,000 
feet  on  the  eastern  or  Blue  Ridge  side,  and  1,000  feet  higher 
on  North  Mountain  side. 

Pile  Valley  is  notable  for  its  grain  and  grass-growing 


34 


capacity.  It  includes  about  5,000,000  acres  of  land, 
of  wliicli  1,700,000  are  under  some  form  of  cultivation; 

1.800.000  additional  being  enclosed  in  farms ; and  the 
remainder,  or  a third  of  the  whole,  available  for  fresh 
settlements. 

Some  idea  of  the  productiveness  of  its  soil  may 
be  gathered  from  the  census  figures  of  1860,  which  gave 
as  the  total  value  of  farming  implements,  $7,000,000 ; 
with  58,000  horses,  2,000  mules,  49,000  milch  cows 
3,500  working  oxen,  101,000  other  cattle,  139,000  sheep, 

254.000  swine;  606,500  head  in  all,  valued  at  $8,000,000. 
The  annual  value  of  animals  slaughtered  was  $1,850,000 ; 
the  wool  clip  was  500,000  pounds,  the  flax  yield  66,000 
pounds,  and  from  these  a domestic  manufacture  of  $250,000 
was  reported.  The  wheat  product  was  3,250,000  bushels, 
corn,  5,500,000  bushels,  besides  large  crops  of  rye,  barley, 
oats,  buckwheat,  &c.  ; 370,000  bushels  of  potatoes,  120,000 
tons  of  hay,  27,000  bushels  of  clover  seed,  25,000  bushels  of 
grass  seed,  2,750,000  pounds  of  butter,  55,000  pounds  of 
maple  sugar,  171,000  pounds  of  honey,  and  3,000,000  pounds 
of  tobacco. 

There  are  also  raised  large  quantities  of  sorghum, 
syrup,  wax,  hemp,  hops,  silk,  wine,  cider,  peas,  beans,  cot- 
ton, orchard  products,  and  other  items,  showing  great  variety 
in  the  resources  and  industry  of  this  part  of  the  State.  Its 
comparative  productiveness  at  that  date  is  shown  in  the 
facts  that,  while  it  had  but  1-142  part  of  the  whole  popula- 
tion of  the  United  States,  it  had  1-107  of  the  horses,  1-174  of 
the  cows,  1-146  of  the  other  cattle,  1-156  of  the  sheep,  1-132 
of  the  swine,  1-135  of  the  value  of  the  stock  raised,  and  1-57 
(or  nearly  three  times  the  average  production)  of  the  wheat, 
1-120  of  the  wool,  1-115  of  the  oats,  1-35  of  the  clover  seed, 
and  1-95  of  the  value  of  land  under  cultivation. 

Augusta  County,  through  which  the  railroad  crosses  the 
head  of  the  Valley,  is  one  of  the  richest  in  the  State,  in  agri- 
cultural values,  and  is  underlaid  with  mineral  treasures  of 
vastly  greater  value,  more  particular  reference  to  which  is 


iruido  in  tlio  pagn^s  rollowing,  iindcn'  tln^  lu'ad  of  Iron 
Its  [)opnUition  and  })roducts,  and  the  valine  of  its  agricnl- 
tural  lands,  will  bo  greatly  increased  with  the  gri'at  impulse 
which  will  be  given  to  iron  ore  mining  and  iron  manufacture, 
by  the  recent  opening  of  the  Railroad,  through  to  the  abun- 
dant and  (‘.heap  fuels  of  the  Kanawha  Valley,  and  to  the  iron 
furnaces  of  Ohio  and  the  West,  for  which  the  Virginia  ores 
are  likely  to  be  in  great  demand. 

The  rapid  multiplication  of  iron  ore  mines  and  blast  fur- 
naces will  afford  a large  home  market  for  the  surplus  and  in- 
creased production,  which  will  still  further  add  to  the  gen- 
eral prosperity  which  distinguishes  this  Valley.  Limestone 
of  the  purest  kind  being  the  bed  rock  of  this  region,  it  is 
cheaply  dug,  and  by  means  of  cheap  coal- screenings  drawn 
from  the  Kanawha,  can  be  cheaply  burned  into  lime  for  fer- 
tilizing purposes,  and  must  be  in  large  demand  for  flux  in 
iron  smelting. 

The  leading  items  showing  the  present  condition  for  agri- 
culture of  this  county,  as  shown  by  the  census  of  1870,  are 
as  follows,  viz.  : 


Acres  improved, 222,843 

Acres  unimproved,  ........  178,028 

Cash  values  of  farms, $10,232,552 

Annual  value  of  farm  products,  .....  $2,130,430 

Value  of  animals  slaughtered,  ......  $346,890 

Value  of  all  live  stock,  .......  $1,086,917 

Crop  of  wheat,  (bushels,)  ......  463,276 

Butter,  (pounds,)  . 353,335 

Wool,  (pounds,) 23,291 


Numerous  English  settlers  have  recently  purchased  farms 
and  estates  in  this  vicinity. 

Agricultural  and  wood-lands  in  this  and  adjoining  coun- 
ties are  still  to  be  had  at  moderate  prices,  $25  to  $50  per  acre  ; 
those  containing  the  mammoth  veins  of  hematite  ores,  or 
timber  lands  adjacent  thereto,  being  held  at  somewhat  higher 
prices. 


36 


The  Mountain  or  Appalachian  Belt  of  country  has  a 
width  varying  from  20  to  50  miles,  and  is  about  equally 
divided  between  the  two  States — Virginia  and  West  Vir- 
ginia— and  consists  of  a great  number  of  comparatively  long 
and  narrow  valleys,  formed  by  the  head-waters  of  the  Po- 
tomac and  James  River  draining  the  eastern  slope,  and  by 
the  Monongahela  and  New  Rivers  flowing  toward  the  Ohio. 
The  population  of  the  20  Counties  (ten  on  each  side  of  the 
boundary)  was  142,336  in  1860,  and  148,509  in  1870,  a gain 
of  near  4J  per  cent,  or  an  average  of  twenty  persons  to  the 
square  mile. 

As  may  be  imagined  from  the  rugged  aspect  of  the 
country,  there  are  on  the  mountain  slopes  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  acres  of  dense,  unbroken  forests.  The  pre- 
yailing  timber  consists  of  oak,  hickory,  pine,  spruce,  cherry, 
inaple,  walnut,  beech,  and  poplar.  It  is  not  uncommon  to 
And  a hundred  trees  upon  an  acre,  of  hickory,  white  oak, 
tulip-poplar,  or  wiki  cherry,  from  each  of  which  a stick  of 
two  feet  in  diameter  and  forty  to  fifty  feet  long  may  be 
hewn ; besides  pines  and  spruces  of  still  larger  dimen- 
sions. The  consumption  of  timber  from  the  moun- 
tain districts  of  this  same  range  in  Pennsylvania  and  New 
York  has  been  very  large  ; a single  County  in  the  former 
State  having  sent  to  market  500  millions  of  feet  in  a single 
year,  at  an  average  rate  of  17  cents  per  cubic  foot. 

The  want  of  railroad  facilities  has  heretofore  kept  the 
Virginia  forests  out  of  market,  while  the  price  of  timber 
lands  in  the  two  States  above  mentioned  have  greatly  ad- 
vanced in  value  as  the  railroads  penetrated  them. 

The  opportunity  is  now  afforded  by  the  Chesapeake  and 
Oliio  Railroad  to  ship  large  quantities  of  hewn  and  sawed  tim- 
ber to  both  eastern  and  western  markets  from  the  cheaper  Vir- 
ginia forests.  Lands  can  now  be  had  in  fee  simple  for  from 
$10  to  $25  per  acre,  from  which  timber  to  ten  times  the  value 
could  be  cut  from  nearly  every  acre,  and  leave  a large  profit 
to  the  slii})pers,  after  payment  of  all  expense  of  cutting  and 
liauling  to  the  railroad. 


37 


ITowi^ll  FisluM*,  ;i  prac.tical  P(amsylvania;  c.oal  opcira^tor 
and  iron  nniskn*,  who  has  inado  this  rc^g-ioii  asp(3cial  study, 
visiting  it  many  times,  says  in  regard  to  tJie  agricultural 
capacities  : 

“On  climbing  up  these  mountains  it  is  found  that  all  the  slopes  and 
“hilhsides  made  by  the  numerous  streams,  and  the  table-lands  on  top,  are 
“ covered  with  a rich  mellow  soil  that  raises  with  ease,  and  yields  finely, 
“ wheat  and  corn,  and  iDarticularly  oats,  potatoes,  and  all  root  crops  in 
“ great  abundance.  This  is  the  unanimous  testimony  of  all  persons  ac- 
“ quainted  with  the  country.  On  the  south  of  New  River,  tobacco,  said 
“to  be  the  finest  sent  to  the  Cincinnati  market,  is  raised  as  easily  and 
“abundantly  as  in  any  part  of  old  Virginia, 

“ Cattle  and  sheep  fatten  and  flourish  on  the  herbage  and  undergrowth 
“ without  other  food,  and  with  literally  no  care.  The  size  of  the  sheep 
“thus  raised  is  stated  by  an  intelligent  gentleman,  who  has  frequently 
“passed  through  this  country,  and  had  his  attention  called  to  it,  to  be 
‘ ‘ much  greater  than  common,  and  their  hardihood  unusual. 

‘ ‘ With  this  fertile  soil,  with  a good  climate,  with  the  excellent  water 
“ that  always  belongs  to  coal  strata,  and  with  unsurpassed  healthfulness, 

‘ ‘ this  country,  mountainous  and  hilly  as  it  is,  would  have  been  filled  with 
“a  hardy,  industrious,  and  thrifty  population,  instead  of  the  few  settle- 
“ ments  that  are  now  met  with,  were  it  not  for  two  causes,  the  principal 
“ one  of  which  has  been  want  of  communication  and  market,  and  the  other 
“the  magnificent  growth  of  timber  with  which  the  land  is  covered. 

‘ ‘ This  consists  of  large  white,  black,  red,  and  chestnut  oaks  ; black 
“and  white  hickory,  black  walnut,  ash,  poplar,  wild  cherry,  and  chestnut, 

‘ ‘ with  occasional  groves  of  the  maple,  and  valleys  of  some  size  of  the  white 
“ pine  and  hemlock.  There  are  other  varieties,  such  as  the  dogwood, 
“ gum,  etc.,  etc.,  which  are  not  so  numerous.  When  for  some  time  among 
“these  forests,  one  does  not  so  feel  their  size,  but  upon  leaving  the  coal 
‘ ‘ strata  and  coming  to  the  Alleghanies,  the  trees  there  look  dwarfish  and 
“the  woods  like  a collection  of  brush. 

“ To  the  European  immigrant,  unaccustomed  to  the  use  of  the  axe, 
“this  fine  growth  of  timber  has  been  deemed  an  objection,  and  he  has  wen- 
“ ded  his  way  to  the  prairies  of  the  West — with  their  chills  and  fevers,  which 
‘ ‘ most  surely  destroy  the  general  health  of  his  family — rather  than  undergo 
“ the  unaccustomed  task  of  clearing,  in  the  mountain  forests,  the.  acres  h e 
,,  needs.  Even  to  our  American  woodsman  this  has  been  a serious  task, 
“arising  from  tlie  necessity  that  heretofore  existed  of  destroying  the  tim- 
“ber  to  get  rid  of  it,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  labor  of  clearing.  Land, 

‘ ‘ when  rid  of  this  valuable  timber  has  hitherto  been  worth  five  times  as 
“ much  as  when  covered  with  its  natural  growth. 

‘ ‘ But,  with  the  railroad  opened,  giving  easy,-!  access  to  Eastern  and 


38 


Western  markets,  all  this  is  changed.  There  is  a demand  for  the  forest 
‘ ‘ products  and  a road  to  market.  The  car  builders,  the  cabinet-makers, 
“ and  the  nnmerous  industries,  dependent  upon  cheap  lumber,  will  neces- 
‘ ‘ sarily  come  along  the  line  of  road.  The  unlimited  supply  of  good  bark 
‘ ‘ will  bring  tanneries  and  their  associate  industries  ; and  when  to  these 
“demands  is  added  the  timber  that  will  be  marketed  in  bulk,  and  the 
‘ ‘ large  consumption  for  mining  purposes,  it  will  be  seen  how  acre  after 
“acre  will  soon  be  opened  to  the  husbandman,  not  only  without  cost,  but 
“with  a large  profit  for  the  labor  of  clearing.” 

Althougli  notably  a timber  growing  country,  the  moun- 
tain portion  of  Virginia  and  West  Virginia  is  by  no  means 
destitute  of  general  agricultural  attractions.  The  extensive 
table-lands  and  numberless  valleys  are  suited  for  corn  and 
grass  culture,  the  soil  being  exceedingly  rich  and  deep. 
There  are  also  extensive  plateaus,  or  table-lands,  between  the 
depressions  caused  by  the  washing  of  the  streams,  upon 
which  are  fine  grazing  and  orchard  lands. 

It  has  been  estimated  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
that  a steer  can  be  fattened  from  the  nutritious  blue  grass 
and  corn  of  this  section  cheaper  than  in  any  other  part 
of  the  country  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  it  is  much 
nearer  the  great  cattle  markets  than  the  Western  grazing 
States. 

There  are  still  millions  of  acres  available  for  field  cul- 
ture, orchards,  vineyards,  sheep  pasture,  etc.,  which  are 
held  as  wild  lands,  and  which  may  be  had  at  from,$l  to 
$10  per  acre,  according  to  their  surface  peculiarities  and 
proximity  to  the  railroad. 

The  Greenbrier  Valley,  one  of  the  largest  and  oldest  set- 
tled of  these  depressions,  is  famed  for  its  salubrity,  beauti- 
ful scenery,  and  general  adaptability  to  farming  pursuits. 
In  appearance  it  resembles  the  renowned  Wyoming  Valley 
of  Pennsylvania,  having,  however,  a more  luxuriant  vege- 
tation and  finer  views.  The  Pailroad  enters  this  valley 
near  the  White  Sulphur  Springs,  and  follows  its  course  to 
its  confluence  with  the  New  Piver  Valley,  a distance  of  35 
miles.  The  substratum  of  nearly  pure  limestone  which  un- 
derlies this  valley  furnishes  a rich  soil.  The  limestone  will 


r 


39 

bo  largoly  in  demand  for  (5omni(^i*cial,  agricultural  and 
mechanical  purposes. 

Tlie  climate  of  this  belt  of  country  is  exceedingly  favor- 
able for  man  and  beast.  The  isothermal  line  of  55  degrees 
passes  diagonally  across  it.  At  Lewisburg,  elevated  1,800 
feet  above  the  sea,  overlooking  the  Greenbrier,  the  average 
temperature  in  the  Spring  months  is  54  degrees,  of  the  Sum- 
mer 73  degrees,  the  Autumn  56  degrees,  and  the  Winter  35 
degrees,  giving  an  annual  mean  of  55  degrees,  or  about  the 
same  as  Baltimore  and  St.  Louis,  and  higher  than  that  of 
Philadelphia  and  Cincinnati. 

The  Trans -Appalachian  or  Kanawha  and  Ohio  Valley 
Region^  or  as  it  may  be  called,  the  western  foot  slopes  of 
the  Allegheny  range,  is  at  present  principally  known  for 
its  wonderful  strata  of  bituminous,  splint  and  cannel  Coal. 

The  area  in  West  Virginia  is  about  17,500  square  miles. 
Its  agricultural  advantages  are  of  great  importance  and 
value,  though  hitherto  deemed  subordinate  to  its  great 
mineral  wealth.  The  improved  lands  in  1860  were  one  and 
a half  million  acres,  the  lands  in  farms,  six  million  acres. 
There  were  over  three  million  acres  not  held  in  farms,  wild 
lands,  generally  owned  in  large  tracts  for  their  timber,  and 
undeveloped  minerals.  Timber  lands  can  still  be  had  in 
quantities  at  from  $1  to  $10  per  acre,  according  to  their  sur- 
face, peculiarities  and  proximity  to  the  road.  The  average 
production  of  cereals  was  33  bushels  to  the  inhabitant,  and 
2 4-5  animals  to  the  person. 

The  capacity  of  the  bottom  lands  for  corn  raising  is 
equal  to  that  of  the  best  bottom  lands  in  Oliio  and  Indiana, 
to  which  they  are  analogous.  Tobacco  and  root  crops  can 
also  be  raised  advantageously  ; the  tobacco  being  so  supe- 
rior, that  it  has  taken  premiums  at  several  of  the  exhibi- 
tions of  this  crop.  As  a live  stock  country,  it  resembles  the 
famous  pastures  of  the  uplands  which  border  it  on  the  east, 
and  the  notable  ‘ ‘ blue-grass  ’ ’ lands  of  Kentucky,  which 
join  it  on  the  west. 

Its  location  between  the  great  markets  of  the  east 


40 


and  west,  and  witliin  20  liours’  travel  of  tlie  seaboard, 
and  witliin  48  hours  of  New  York,  will  enable  cattle- 
growers  to  reap  all  the  benefits  of  cheap  feeding  and 
economical  transportation  to  market. 

Active  manufacturing  and  mining  industries  will  be  rap- 
idly developed  along  the  central  portion  of  this  belt,  espe- 
cially in  the  New  River  and  Kanawha  Yalleys,  on  the  line 
of  the  railroad,  which  will  furnish  a home  market  for 
local  produce,  and  render  this  portion  of  the  country  addi- 
tionall}^  attractive  to  settlers  and  farmei  s. 

Sumac  and  oak  bark,  largely  in  demand  for  tanning  and 
dyeing  purposes,  are  found  here  in  abundance,  and  tanner- 
ies here  would  have  hides  and  ingredinets  accessible  at  a 
• minimum  cost. 


(2.)  Iron  Ores. 

Facilities  for  the  Manufacture  of  Iron.  The  deposits 
of  iron  ores  and  the  advantages  foi:  the  manufacture 
of  iron  and  steel  upon  the  line  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  Railroad,  probably,  largely  exceed  those  of  any 
other  part  of  the  United  States. 

The  rapid  increase  in  the  demand  for  iron,  the  develop  * 
ment  of  iron  manufacture  in  this  country,  and  the  large 
profits  to  be  derived  from  its  ^^roduction  at  the  iiigli  prices 
now  prevailing,  are  imparting  a great  interest  to  those  points 
which  offer  the  most  favorable  opportunities  and  the 
greatest  advantages  for  this  important  and  extensive  branch 
of  industry. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  iron  manufacture  of  the 
United  States  is  destined  to  experience  a very  great  and 
rapid  development  from  tins  time  forward,  and  that  it 
will  concentrate  to  a large  extent  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
superior  ores,  fuels,  fiuxes,  etc.,  of  the  Allegheny  region 
of  Virginia  and  the  Kanawha  Ualley,  along  the  line  of 
the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad. 

It  is  not  only  among  the  iron  workers  of  this  country 
that  this  extraordinary  and  attractive  field,  now  ren- 


41 


(ItMH'd  ac(*('ssiblo  ;iiid  a.v;iihibl(‘  bytlu'.  ()])(aiin^  of  tliij  rail- 
road, is  attracting  attcnitioii,  l)nt  the  capital  a,nd  (aibir- 
prise  of  Great  Britain  are  also  turning  toward  it.  Its  advan- 
tages are  being  explored  in  the  interests  of  English  capital- 
ists, who  are  astonished  at  tlie  wealth  which  their  examina- 
tions are  revealing,  and  already  arrangements  are  in 
progress  for  the  investment  of  large  amounts  of  English 
capital  in  coal  and  iron  lands,  and  in  the  manufacture  of 
pig-iron,  rails  and  Bessemer  steel.  ^ 


* The  following  figures  will  show  the  Production  of  the  several  classes  of  Iron 
in  the  United  States  for  a series  of  years  : 


YEAR. 

ANTHRACITE. 

BITUM.  AND  COKE. 

CHARCOAL. 

TOTAL. 

1862 

470,315 

186,660 

787,662 

1863 

577,638 

212,005 

947,600 

1864 

684,018 

241,853 

1,135,497 

1865 

479,538 

262,342 

931,582 

1866 

740,267 

268,996 

332,580 

1,350,943 

1867 

798,638 

218,647 

344,341 

379,000 

1,461,626 

1868 

893,000 

340,000 

1,603,000 

1869 

971,150 

553,341 

392,150 

1,916,641 

1870 

1871 

863,000 

600,000 

600,000 

712,500 

1.900.000 

1.850.000 

1872 

1,197,010 

712,500 

2,358,250 

No  less  than  109  new  Blast  Furnaces  were  in  course  of  erection  during  the 
year,  which  would  give  an  increased  capacity  of  327,000  tons  of  Pig  Iron. 

The  total  yield  of  iron  ore  in  the  United  States  for  the  year  1872  is  stated  at 
6.421.836  tons. 

The  production  of  Iron  in  Great  Britain  in  1845  was  1,250,000  tons  ; in  1850, 
2,250,000  tons;  in  1864,  5,000,000  tons;  and  in  1866,  4,530,051  tons;  in  1869, 
5,527,443  tons. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  production  of  Pig  Iron  in  the  United  States  is  rapidly 
gaining  on  that  of  Great  Britain,  and  already  exceeds  that  of  any  other  country. 

Of  the  product  of  1872,  according  to  the  FhiladeliFua  Ledger^  a careful  au- 
thority, considerably  more  tlian  half,  2,678,500  tons  was  required  for  Railroad  Iron ; 
miscellaneous  castings,  600,000  tons;  stores,  250,000  tons;  nails,  &c.,  250,000 
nuts  and  bolts,  250,000  tons;  the  remainder  being  allotted  to  architectnral,  agri- 
cultural, gas  and  water  pipes,  ship-building,  machines,  &c.  Of  Bessemer  Steel 
there  were  125,361  tons  manufactured. 

The  total  requirement  for  railroads  per  annum  is  now  2,478,500  tons,  or  more 
than  the  total  production  in  the  U.  S.  The  railway  consumption  is  distributed  per 
mile  as  follows  : For  Rails  and  Track,  per  mile,  100  tons;  for  Locomotives, 
25  tons  ; forCars,20  tons  ; for  Sundries,  5 tons;  total,  150  tons,  per  mile. 


42 


Iron  ores  of  several  of  the  most  valuable  varieties  are 
found  in  great  abundance  in  seams  of  nnnsual  thickness, 
and  of  very  rich  qualities,  along  the  line  of  the  road.  From 
a point  on  the  road,  56  miles  west  of  Richmond,  to  the 
‘ western  terminus  on  the  Ohio  river,  a distance  of  370  miles, 
iron  ores,  in  workable  seams,  are  found  at  frequent  inter- 
vals, many  of  which  have  been  long  worked  on  a moderate 
scale,  with  charcoal  for  fuel,  and  the  great  richness  of  which 
has  long  been  known. 

The  means  of  transportation,  and  the  communication 
with  the  cheap  and  abundant  coals  of  the  Kanawha,  which 
are  peculiarly  adapted  for  use  in  the  manufacture  of  iron, 
now  afforded  by  the  opening  of  the  railroad,  make  these 
ores  available  for  a vast  production  on  the  spot,  as  well  as 
for  use  in  the  furnaces  of  southern  Ohio  and  at  other  points, 
where  they  will  be  wanted  in  large  quantities,  to  take 
the  place  of  ores  hitherto  obtained  at  large  expense  from 
Lake  Superior  and  Missouri. 

The  ores  consist  of  magnetic,  argillaceous,  brown  hema- 
tite, fossiliferous,  specular  and  other  varieties,  and  are 
disposed  in  immense  masses,  much  more  accessible  and 
of  greater  dimensions,  than  tlie  same  seams  found  in 
the  corresponding  stratification  in  Pennsylvania  and  New 
Jersey. 

First  in  the  order  of  workable  seams  in  proceeding  west- 
wardly,  is  a rich  hematite  ore,  yielding  about  40  per  cent, 
of  metallic  iron,  found  not  far  from  Tolersville  Station. 
It  is  now  mined  and  smelted  at  the  Victoria  Furnace, 
near  the  railroad.  Further  West  in  the  same  Piedmont 
region  tliere  are  evidences  of  a magnetic  ore  of  the  best 
quality,  identical  in  position  with  the  magnetic  iron  ore- 
belt  in  New  Jersey,  from  which  in  1867,  115  mines  furnished 
1,300,000  tons  of  iron  ore.  The  introduction  of  cheap  coal 
to  this  lugion  will  (piickly  develop  the  mining  of  this 


t 


43 


(l(‘])()sit'.  Tt  is  of  rocognizod  va.liK^  for  iriixing  with  other 
ores  1*01111(1  oil  eitlua*  si(i(‘  oi*  it.  Lirni'stoiK^  is  foinul  (^ast  of 
it  ill  Louisa  County,  and  west  of  it  in  the  Shenandoali 
Yalh^y. 

A third  seam  of  hematite  ores  is  found  in  Silurian 
form,  in  the  spurs  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  near  Fisherville, 
in  tlie  same  geological  position  as  the  ores  so  extensively 
worked  in  the  Cumberland,  Reading,  and  Lehigh  Valleys 
of  Pennsylvania. 

Rich  lodes  of  hematite  and  specular  ores  are  found  run- 
ning along  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  at  intervals,  in 
the  whole  breadth  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  in  con- 
tinuous seams  of  great  thickness  along  the  north  and  par- 
allel mountains  beyond.  In  the  south-western  part  of  the 
Valley,  where  the  Radford  Iron  Company  of  Philadelphia 
have  erected  a furnace,  these  lodes  measure  35  to  40  feet  in 
thickness.  This  ore  is  of  great  purity  and  value,  as  is 
shown  by  the  results  of  actual  working  ; one  of  the  furnaces 
in  the  vicinity  having  turned  out  from  the  run  of  a season 
56  per  cent,  of  the  metal. 

In  the  foot  slopes  of  the  North  Mountain,  also,  are  num- 
erous lodes  or  pockets  of  ore  inter- stratified  with  tlie  lime- 
stones, some  of  them  quite  extensive,  and  from  many  of 
them  ores  will  be  in  demand  for  mixing  Avitli  the  harder 
ores  from  the  adjacent  mountains. 

The  astonishing  magnitude  of  the  ore  beds  in  the  West- 
ern portion  of  Augusta  County  and  adjoining  Counties  is 
such  as  to  give  them  the  designation  of  ‘‘  Cliff  ” or  ‘‘  Bluff  ” 
ores.  Trustwortliy  experts  and  mining  engineers  of  great 
experience  unite  in  saying  that  their  mass,  and  position  near 
the  surface,  are  sucli,  as  have  not  been  found  in  any  otlier 
portion  of  the  globe,  so  far  as  is  known  to  commerce. 

Prof.  Ridgway,  who  devoted  some  time  to  a careful  ex- 
amination of  these  ores,  says  in  his  report : 

‘ ‘ This  Bluff  iron  ore,  of  the  Oriskany  sandstones, 


44 


shows  itself  near  to  the  Buffalo  Gap  Furnace  [see  Map 
^‘No.  Y]  also  along  the  same  line  of  outcroppings,  at  a 
“point  one  mile  from  the  Elizabeth  Furnace  Station  [see 
“No.  YI.],  where  immense  cliff's  of  this  ore  may  be  seen  ; 
“ also  near  Pond  Gap  Station  [see  No.  YIIJ.  Again,  in 
“like  manner,  in  the  parallel  hills,  at  the  Esteline  Furnace 
“ see  No.  YIII] ; and  again,  at  the  California  Furnace  [see 
“No.  IX],  where  there  is  an  immense  amount  of  iron  ore 
“reposing,  at  a low  angle  from  the  horizon,  in  a stratilied 
“ form,  and  in  good  mining  condition.  Again,  at  the  Ans- 
“tralia  [see  No.  X]  and  at  the  Lucy  Selina  [see  No.  XI.], 
“the  beds  of  ore  are  of  remarkable  extent  and  in  vast 
“masses.  The  immensity  of  the  aggregate  mass  of  hema- 
“ tite  iron  ore  at  these  points  surpasses  anything  which  I 
‘ ‘ have  ever  seen  elsewhere.  The  ore  rises  np  into  huge 
“ cliffs  from  50  to  75  feet  high,  and  the  cliffs  maybe  broken 
“down  and  put  into  the  cars  at  $1.40  per  ton,  including 
“ royalty.”"^ 

It  is  asserted  that  the  stratum  extends  for  over  300 
miles  in  Yirginia,  and  in  the  opinion  of  iron  masters  it 
is  destined  to  become  the  seat  of  the  most  extensive  iron 
manufacture,  the  cost  of  mining  the  ores,  of  bringing 
together  fuel  and  flux  being  less  than  in  Pennsylvania  or 
elsewhere  on  this  Continent.  Large  shipments  of  ores  can 
also  be  advantageously  made  to  furnaces  located  near  the 
seaboard  in  the  Northern  States,  and  in  Southern  Ohio.f 

Limestone  is  found  of  great  ]mrity,  and  in  great  abund- 
ance in  the  valleys  separating  tliese  successive  ore-bearing 
hills.  In  the  Yalley  of  Yirginia  it  is  in  close  proximity  to 
the  ore  beds ; again  in  the  Greenbrier  Yalley  it  is  bordered 
by  deposits  of  ore  on  the  one  side,  and  by  the  coal  measures 
on  the  other  side,  so  that  there  is  scarcely  an  interval 
of  a hundred  miles  on  the  entire  road  which  has  not  both 
iron  ore  and  limestone  ; while  the  ore  is  also  found  on 
both  hanks  of  the  coal. 


♦Analyses  of  the  Bluff  ores  of  Augusta  County,  by  T.  Heinrich  show  51.33  and  58.32  per  cent 
of  metallic  iron  respectively. 

t Parties  seeking  information  in  regard  to  tracts  of  coal  and  iron  lands  held  for  sale,  or  con 
corning  the  facilities  for  mining  and  iron  manufacture,  can  consult  Mr.  Pliny  Fi.sk,  a Director  of  the 
Che.sapeake  k Ohio  Kailroad  Company,  who  lias  devoted  considerable  attention  to  these  subjects 
the  Company’s  behalf,  whose  address  is— Trenton,  NJ. 


45 


Tlu'  MKiiii  ridge  of  tlu^  All(‘gha.iii(^s,  and  tin'  s|)urs  and 
paralh'l  ranges  on  the  water  slu'd  of  the  Ohio,  all  oi'  neai'ly 
all,  Inive  st'ains  of  iron  and  other  ores.  These  Inid  been 
('xploiH'd  to  a liinibul  (extent  only,  prior  to  the  opening  of  the 
railroad,  as  thei*('  Avas  tlu'ii  no  outlet  to  market.  Quitch 
ix'cently,  hoAvtwer,  more  (extended  examinations  liave  been 
mad(',  rt'snlting  in  the  location  of  valuable  iron  ore  beds 
Avhich  will  probably  soon  be  put  to  use.  Between  White 
Snlphnr  Springs  and  Huntington  are  numerous  sites  for  the 
economical  manufacture  of  iron,  from  either  the  native  ores, 
or  in  combination  with  the  ores  from  the  Eastern  slo])e  of 
the  mountains. 

The  controlling  elements  in  the  successful  production  of 
iron,  are  the  cost  of  the  several  ingredients,  and  the  cost  of 
sending  the  manufactured  product  to  the  principal  distrib- 
uting centres.  Labor,  interest,  Avear-and -tear,  contingent 
expenses,  and  the  like,  are  about  the  same  in  different 
localities.  The  accessibility,  adaptability,  and  abundance 
of  coals,  ores  and  limestone  along  the  line  of  this  road 
ensures  cheap  pig-iron ; and  cheap  pig  and  clieap  fuel,  en- 
sure cheap  Avrought  iron  and  steel.  The  railroad  furnishes  a 
cheap  outlet  to  the  markets  of  the  Atlantic'.,  and  also  to  the 
west  which  must  ahvays  consume  immense  quantities  of  all 
descriptions  of  iron.  The  furnaces  situated  along  the  eastern 
])ortion  of  the  line  are  all  in  prosperous  operation,  most  of 
them  enlarging  their  capacity.  They  have  long  produced 
charcoal  pig  so  cheaply  as  to  com})ete  with  the  Avorld,  even 
though  using  high  pricc'd  fuel.  Now  that  clieaper  fuel  and 
fluxing  material  can  be  liad  by  the  railroad,  they  Avill  be 
able  to  furnish  the  ordinary  pig  metal  at  the  seaboard,  on 
terms  which  will  compete  Avith  European  or  other  domestic 
furnaces  at  a larg('.  profit  to  the  manufacturers. 

For  furnaces  located  on  the  Avestern  ])ortion  of  the  line, 
the  Western  States  will  afford  an  excellent  market.  Tlu' 
same  vessels  bearing  eastward  the  products  of  tlie  far  Avest, 
can  be  freighted  back  on  their  return  trips  with  the  coal 
and  iron  of  the  Kanawha. 


46 


Mr.  Howell  Fi slier  shows,  hy  calculations  of  tin* 
cost  of  the  several  items  at  the  furnace,  how  the  Kana- 
wha region  may  reap  a decided  advantage  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  either  the  crude  metal  or  its  more  finished  products, 
and  adds  : 

“ Pittsburg  was  formerly  the  cheapest  point  in  the  West  for  the  manufacture  of 
finished  iron,  and  while  Cincinnati  will  be  a somewhat  cheaper  point  of  delivery 
from  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  than  from  Pittsburg,  it  will  be  fair  to  treat 
delivery  from  these  points  to  the  general  Western  market  as  equal. 

“It  will  not  be  necessary,  in  making  the  comparisons,  to  go  into  the  minutiae  of 
manufacture,  as  labor,  contingent  expenses,  interest,  &c.,  vary  but  little  at  all 
points,  final  results  as  to  cost  being  a question  of  the  cost  of  ore  and  coal. 

“The  point  on  the  line  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  assumed  will  be 
that  where  the  first  available  coal  is  found. 

“At  Pittsburg  the  question  of  ores  enters  more  materially  into  the  difference  of 
cost.  The  cost  now  at  Pittsburg  for  ore  necessary  to  make  one  ton  of  pig-iron  is 
not  less  than  $15,  and  at  the  estimate  before  assumed  of  1.43  tons  of  pig-iron  to 
one  ton  of  rail,  this  would  give  $21.45  as  the  cost  of  ore  per  ton  of  finished  rail. 
On  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  $12  per  ton  of  pig-iron  for  the  ore  will  be 
admitted  to  be  a high  figure.  This  would  give  $17.16  per  ton  of  rail — over  $4  per 
ton  advantage.  The  Pittsburg  coal  has,  however,  to  be  coked,  and  to  this  item  is, 
therefore,  to  be  added  one  and  a half  tons  of  coal  and  the  cost  of  coking,  so  that 
there  is,  under  the  most  favorable  statement,  to  Pittsbug  a difference  of  $6  per  ton. 
in  favor  of  the  Virgina  location. 

“As  articles  of  iron  require  more  work,  such  as  locomotives,  steammills,  finished 
iron  work  of  all  descriptions,  the  manufacture  of  steel,  etc.,  so  do  they  represent 
more  coal  per  ton  of  finished  work,  and  can  be  manufactured  proportionably 
cheaper,  as  fuel  is  cheaper. 

“In  Pennsylvania  the  manufacture  of  charcoal  iron  is  gradually  dying  out, 
owing  to  the  want  of  proximity  of  the  wood  and  ore.  This  proximity  still  exists 
over  a large  field  of  country  in  Virginia,  and  is  transferring  the  manufacture  of 
charcoal  iron  to  that  State.  This  article  is  essential  to  the  production  of  good  car 
wheels  and  the  manufacture  of  Bessemer  steel,  and  is  now  transported  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, to  be  there  used  for  these  purposes,  and  worked  up  by  a dear  fuel.  The 
laws  of  trade  will  only  permit  this  so  long  as  this  iron  cannot  meet  its  natural  ally, 
the  coal  of  Virginia.  When  this  occurs,  and  rolling  mills  have  been  erected  to 
make  the  necessary  axles  and  bar  iron,  and  all  brought  into  connection  with  the 
cheap  and  superior  lumber  of  the  coal  region,  the  industry  of  freighta  nd  heavy  car 
construction  will  be  driven  to  seek  the  line  of  this  road,  and  it  will  not  be  five  years 
from  its  completion  before  four-fifths  of  this  class  of  cars  in  the  United  States  can 
be  here  manufactured.” 

Professor  Jed  Hotchkiss,  who  is  familiar,  from  the  ex- 
plorations of  many  years  with  this  ])art  of  the  country, 
also  speaks  in  his  ‘‘Resources  of  Virginia,’^  more  particu- 
larly of  its  advantages  for  iron  making  : 


47 


“ The  iniiioml  woiiltli  of  the  Blue  Bidge  is  great,  and  destined  to  be 
“ (Hiite  iin})ortaint,  from  its  nearness  to  tlie  sea-board.  In  the  rangcis  of 
“ foot  hills,  lying  along  the  western  base  of  these  monntains,  the  whole 
“ dOO  or  more  miles  of  their  length,  are  found  very  extensive  deposits  of 
“ brown  hematite  iron  ores  of  the  best  eharacter,  giving  from  sixty  to 
‘ ‘ seventy-live  per  cent,  of  metallic  iron  in  the  yield  of  the  furnace.  It  is 
“not  correct  to  saj"  that  these  deposits  are  continuous,  and  yet  they  have 
“ been  so  regularly  found,  when  sought  after,  as  almost  to  justify  the  use 
“of  that  term.  In  some  places  they  are  deeply  buried  in  the  debris  oi 
“ the  mountain;  at  others  they  show  themselves  as  interstratilied  masses, 
“ conforming  for  long  distances  to  the  formations  of  the  district,  as  near 
‘ ‘ where  New  River  leaves  the  Ridge,  at  Radford  Furnace,  where  the 
“ stratum  is  over  thirty  feet  in  thickness,  while  at  other  places  the  ore,  in 
‘ ‘ a soft  state,  forms  hill-like  masses,  as  at  the  Shenandoah  Ironworks,  in 
“Rockingham.  At  one  place  in  Rockbridge,  where  the  stratification  is 
“nearly  vertical,  striking  with  the  mountain,  this  one  appears  as  a hard 
‘ ‘ central  stratum ; forming  the  crest  of  a spur  more  than  600  feet  above  its 
“ base.  The  western  fiank  of  the  table-land  in  the  south-west  is  known 
“ as  the  Iron  Mountain'  from  the  quantity  of  this  ore  there  exposed. 
“ There  are  numerous  furnaces  now  in  blast'  and  others  are  being  built* 
“ along  the  line  of  these  deposits • making  charcoal  iron  of  a high  character* 
“ such  as  now  readily  commands  sixty  dollars  a ton  in  the  United  States* 
“ using  the  timber  of  the  Blue  Ridge  for  fuel.  One  of  these  had  a yield 
‘ ‘ of  sixty-five  per  cent,  of  iron  from  the  ore  put  into  the  furnace  in  the 
“ run  of  a season. 

..  Between  these  hematite  ores  and  the  main  ridge  is  found  a massive 
“ and  somewhat  persistent  deposit  of  specular  ironstone*  yielding  from 
‘ ‘ twenty  to  thirty  per  cent,  of  metallic  iron.  This  had  not  attracted  any 
“ attention  until  lately*  when  it  has  been  advantageously  used*  mixed  with 
“ the  richer  hematites*  as  at  Mount  Torrey  furnace*  in  Augusta.” 

(3.)  Coal  Deposits. 

Bihtminous^  Splint^  and  Cannel.  For  a hundred 
miles  of  its  course  the  Chesapeake  and  Oliio  Railroad 
passes  through  and  over  the  great  Alleglieiiy  (‘oal-iield, 
at  the  point  of  its  greatest  width,  where  the  workable  strata 
are  most  numerous,  where  the  seams  are  of  the  greatest 
thickness,  the  varieties  of  the  coal  the  most  important  and 
valuable,  and  the  quality  of  the  coal  the  })urest. 

The  coal  measures  of  West  Virginia  cover  Tiearly  10,000 
square  miles.  In  the  New  River  and  Kanawha  Valleys  the 
coal  beds  make  their  apj)earance  at  the  surface,  to  the  number 
of  14  distinct  strata,  with  an  aggregate  thickness,  at  places, 


48 


of  100  feet,  of  wliicli  more  tliaii  half  is  in  workable  seams  of 
from  3 to  8 feet  in  thickness.  By  tlie  erosion  of  the  streams 
the  coal  seams  crop  ont  on  the  hill  sides  high  above  the 
water  and  railroad  levels,  in  the  most  favorable  position  for 
easy,  cheap,  and  safe  excavation.  The  cost  of  opening 
mines  is  small,  and  as  the  ventilation  and  drainage  are 
natural,  the  cost  of  bringing  coal  to  the  surface  must  always 
be  cheaper  than  in  any  other  coal-fields  in  the  world. 

Mr.  Howell  Fisher  furnishes  more  specific  information 
on  this  point.  He  says  : 

‘Hn  respect  to  conditions  most  essential  to  cheap  and 
profitable  working,  this  region  stands  unrivalled.  It  has 
been  stated  before  that  the  chasm  of  the  river  renders  it 
most  pecnliar  service  in  its  relation  to  the  coal.  Cntting  all 
the  coal  strata  for  nearly  its  whole  length  entirely  throngh, 
and  getting  down  among  the  shales  under  the  coal,  the  river 
has  caused  the  numerous  streams  which  pierce  tins  whole 
coal  region  to  cut  down  through  most  of  the  coal-bearing 
strata  on  their  courses,  leaving  the  coal  entirely  above  water 
level,  accessible  at  hundreds  of  points  by  simply  scraping  off 
the  surface  soil  ; so  that  so  far  as  the  mere  getting  of  coal 
is  concerned,  two  thousand  dollars  will  open  a mine  ready 
to  ship  one  tliousand  tons  per  week.  There  is  no  region  in 
the  world  where  less  physical  labor  will  prepare  a mine  for 
the  delivery  of  coal  at  the  drift’ s mouth. 

‘ ‘ This  will  be  made  clearer  by  a comparison  of  the  posi- 
tion of  coal  here  and  in  Grreat  Britain  in  this  respect.  In 
Great  Britain,  and  in  fact  in  most  all  of  the  European  coal- 
fields, the  coal  is  deep  below  the  water-level.  To  reach  the 
seams  requires  the  expenditure  of  years  of  labor  and  vast 
sums  of  money  in  sinking  vshafts  or  pits,  and  in  erecting 
pumping  and  hoisting  machinery,  to  be  maintained  and 
renewed  at  heavy  annual  expense.  It  is  authoritatively 
stated,  that  the  cost  of  sinking  shafts  in  the  Newcastle 
region  of  England  to  the  depth  of  one  thousand  feet,  has 
been,  in  many  instances,  one  thousand  dollars  per  yard.  In 
the  great  Northern  coal-field  of  Great  Britain,  producing 
twenty  million  tons  per  annum,  there  are  two  hundred  pits 
or  shafts,  costing,  in  first  outlay,  for  sinking  and  machinery, 
fifty  millions  of  dollars,  to  which  must  be  added  the  neces- 
sary expense  of  constructing  and  maintaining  })roper  air- 
courses,  and  their  accessories  requisite  to  the  safety  of  the 
employes. 


40 


‘‘  Tliero  is  now  iiivost(‘(l  siiu])ly  iii])its,  jukI  machiiKijy  for 
j)uiupiiig  iiiui  hoisting  the  one  hniidriHl  million  tons  jn'odue- 
cd  in  (ii*ent  Britain,  two  hundred  million  dollars  ; and  this 
vast  Slim  is  destined  to  iittm*  destruction  in  serving  tlie  pnr 
poses  for  which  it  was  used. 

These  pits  and  macliinery  being  constructed,  they  in- 
volve a certain  amount  of  labor  for  every  ton  ot  coal  got, 
in  addition  to  their  cost  and  renewal. 

‘‘  Now,  in  this  great  coal-field  crossed  by  the  Chesapeake 
and  Ohio  Railroad^  Nature  has  already  sunk  all  the  neces- 
sary pits  and  shafts,  which  need  neither  repair,  renewal,  or 
labor  to  work  them.  The  laws  of  gravity  have  provided  the 
most  perfect,  permanent,  and  costless  pumping  machinery  ; 
and  the  most  perfect  ventilation  of  the  mine  and  safety  of 
the  employes,  instead  of  requiring  scientific  knowledge  and 
anxious  thought,  is  simply  a matter  of  the  most  ordinary 
care,  the  almost  perfect  freedom  from  noxious  gases  being 
the  natural  result  of  the  position  of  the  coal  strata.” 

The  principal  varieties  are  the  Bituminous^  the  Splint^ 
and  the  Cannel.  Of  the  bituminous,  there  are  seams  of  dif- 
ferent degrees  of  hardness  and  texture,  from  the  friable  or 
“fatty”  coking  coal,  similar  to  the  best  of  the  Newcastle 
(England)  coals,  to  the  harder  “block”  coals  with  regular 
cleavage,  similar  to  the  Youghiogheny  coals  so  largely  in 
demand  in  the  western  and  southern  cities.  For  household 
purposes,  for  fuel  and  for  the  manufacture  of*  gas,  the  Ka- 
nawha bituminous  coals,  are  equal  to  the  best  Pittsburg,  or 
Cumberland  coals. 

The  Splint  Coal  of  the  Kanawha  is  a hard  close-grained 
dry  burning  variety,  peculiar  to  this  region,  and  is  usually 
found  here  in  conjunction  with  the  seams  of  bituminous  or 
cannel. 

Its  distinctive  features  are  a square,  regular  cleavage, 
and  great  purity,  being  nearly  free  from  sulphur  and 
earthy  matter.  It  is  also  found  to  have  great  sustaining 
strength  in  the  furnace- stack,  which,  together  with  its  great 
purity,  make  it  more  valuable  for  the  manufacture  of  iron, 
than  any  other  mineral  fuel  discovered,  as  it  can  be  used  in 
its  raw  state,  without  coking. 

It  makes  a black,  soft,  malleable  iron,  which  ranks  in 


f 

50 

quality  and  price  with  “No.  1 Foundry,”  or  the  best 
quality  of  Cliarcoal  iron. 

Tlie  presence  of  this  valuable  coal  in  such  quantities,  and 
in  such  position  that  it  can  be  mined  very  cheaply,  is  of 
incalculable  importance  in  connection  with  the  iron  ores  of 
Virginia,  and  to  the  furnaces  in  Southern  Ohio  and 
Kentucky. 

Several  tracts  of  coal  lands  have  recently  been  pur- 
chased by  Pennsylvania  and  New  York  capitalists  and 
iron  masters,  with  a view  to  the  erection  of  furnaces  near 
the  coal  mines  to  be  supplied  with  ores  from  the  rich 
deposits  of  the  Alleghany  region  already  described. 

Splint  Coal  of  a very  fine  quality  is  now  being  mined 
and  shipped  over  the  Kailroad  to  the  East  and  West,  by  the 
Kmuxwha  and  Ohio  Coal  Co.^  whose  mines  are  located  at 
Coalburg,  16  miles  above  Charleston,  directly  upon  the 
line  of  the  Railroad,  their  incline  for  the  delivery  of  the 
coal  from  the  mouth  of  the  opening,  coming  down  the  hill 
side  to  the  track.  The  officers  of  the  Com23any  are  Wm.  H. 
Edwards,  President,  and  Jno.  H.  Platt,  Secretary.  They 
may  be  addressed  for  fuller  particulars  at  Coalburg,  West 
Virginia,  or  No.  40  Wall  street.  New  York  City.  Their 
Splint  Coal  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  iron,  which  sells 
at  Cincinnati  at  the  full  price  of  the  best  Charcoal  iron. 

The  Gannel  Coal  is  found  in  great  abnndance,  directly 
upon  and  within  easy  reach  of  the  line  of  the  Railroad,  at 
different  points  throughout  the  Kanawha  Valley,  in  seams 
of  from  2^  to  8 feet  in  thickness,  and  of  great  purity. 

It  is  equal  to  the  best  imported  cannel  for  family  use  in 
grates,  and  is  found  by  actual  test  to  possess  very  great  value 
for  use  in  the  manufacture  of  illuminating  gas.  The  Man- 
hattan and  the  Metropolitan  Gas-Light  Companies  of  this 
City,  and  others,  have  made  satisfactory  tests  of  its  qualities 
for  this  purpose,  and  found  it  superior  to  most  other  coals 
in  use,  both  in  the  quantity  as  well  as  in  the  purity  and 
illuminating  power  of  the  gas  which  it  yields. 


51 


It  will  be  wanted  in  larg(^  (|iiaiitities  by  ilie  (las  Cotii- 
panies  throughout  the  Eastern  and  Western  States, 
wherever  it  becomes  known,  and  tln‘  demand  for  it 
for  this  purpose,  and  for  fuel,  will  call  for  a very  large 
product,  and  render  the  mining  of  it  one  of  tlie  most 
important  and  profitable  industries  on  tlie  line  of  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad,  to  which  it  will  yield  a very 
large  tonnage,  and  a remunerative  price  for  transportation. 

The  Peytona  Coal  Coinjjany^  whose  mines  are  located  on 
the  Coal  River,  and  whose  principal  office  is  at  No.  58 
Broadway,  in  this  city,  and  the  Cannelton  Coal  Company^ 
whose  mines  are  at  Cannelton,  26  miles  above  Charleston, 
and  in  sight  of  the  Railroad,  and  whose  principal  office  is 
in  Philadelphia,  are  now  mining,  and  shipping  over  the 
Railroad  in  both  directions,  very  line  qualities  of  Cannel 
Coal,  further  particulars  of  which  may  be  obtained  by 
addressing  them  as  above. 

Other  parties  are  preparing  for  the  mining  and  stripping 
of  Cannel  Coal  in  large  quantities. 

The  price  of  imported  Cannel  Coal  in  this  market  for 
some  years  past  has  ranged  from  $18  to  $22. 

The  Cannel  Coal  of  the  Kanawha  region,  which  has 
hitherto  been  unavailable  for  want  of  the  means  of  transpor- 
tation to  market,  can  now  by  means  of  the  Chesapeake 
and  Ohio  Railroad,  be  delivered  here  at  from  $10  to  $12 
per  ton,  and  pay  a good  profit  to  the  miner,  and  can  be 
supplied  to  the  cities  and  towns  along  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi Rivers,  and  vicinity,  at  still  lower  rates. 

Coal  Lands  containing  valuable  seams  of  Cannel  may 
still  be  had  by  purchase  or  lease  on  favorable  terms,  and 
mines  may  be  opened  and  prepared  for  the  delivery  of  coal, 
in  a short  time,  and  at  very  moderate  expense. 

The  following  citations  from  the  most  reliable  authorities 
and  experts,  on  the  Kanawha  coal  field,  furnish  facts  of 
great  interest  : 

The  work  “Coal,  Iron,  and  Oil,”  by  Daddow  & Bannan,  Edition  of 
1866,  page  340,  speaking  of  this  location  and  its  coal,  says  : “Coal  river, 


52 


‘ ‘ Elk  river,  and  Gauley  diverge  from  the  Great  Kanawha  and  spread  their 
‘ ‘ branches  over  one  of  the  richest  and  most  magniiiceni  coal  regions  in  the 
‘ ‘ world,  and  bring  down  their  wealth  to  one  common  centre  on  the  Great 
‘ ‘ Kanawha.  The  coals  of  this  region  generally  are  better,  purer,  and  more 
‘ ‘ available  for  all  the  requirements  of  trade  and  manufacture  than  the  coal 
‘ ‘ from  any  other  portion  of  the  Alleghany  coal-field.  The  seams  of  coal 
‘ ‘ are  more  numerous  and  their  thickness  greater  than  in  any  other  portion 
‘ ‘ of  this  coal-field  ; it  can  be  mined  cheaper  and  with  more  economy  gen- 
‘ ‘ erally,  under  the  same  rates  of  labor,  than  in  any  other  region  in  this 
^'‘country  without  exception.’’^ 

Prof.  Hotchkiss,  in  liis  Paper  read  before  the  Society  of 
Arts,  on  the  Hesonrces  of  Yirginia,  says  : 

“ The  mineral  resources  of  the  Trans- Appalachian  region  are  very  great. 
“Especially  is  it  rich  in  the  abundance  of  cannel,  splint  and  bituminous 
“coals,  one  of  more  of  these  varieties  being  found  under  16,000  square 
‘ ‘ miles  of  its  territory.  The  great  Appalachian  coal-fields  extend  from 
“northern  Pennsylvania  to  northern  Alabama,  an  irregular  oval  area, 
“ widest  on  the  line  of  the  Kanawha  river,  which  crosses  it  at  right  angles. 

‘ ‘ This  part  of  the  coal  field  is  one-quarter  larger  than  the  great  coal  fields 
‘ ‘ of  the  British  Isles. 

“On  the  eastern  border  the  seams  of  the  lower  coal  measures  are  found, 

‘ ‘ having  an  exposed  aggregate  thickness  of  some  50  feet  in  the  gorge  of 
“ New  Eiver — the  line  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Kailway — a cailon  bom 
“1,200  to  1,500  feet  below  the  general  level  of  the  country.  One  of  these 
“seams  is  over  six  feet  thick,  furnishing  a good  coking  coal ; another 
‘ ‘ seam  of  block  coal  is  four  and  a-half  feet  thick.  There  are  several  other 
‘ ‘ seams  three  and  four  feet  in  thickness,  furnishing  bituminous  coals  of 
“ good  quality.  These  seams  have  only  a moderate  inclination  to  the 
“north-west,  and  are  all  above  the  river  and  railroad  level.  These  lower 
‘ ‘ measures  descend  more  rapidly  than  the  rivers,  and  so  pass  beneath  the 
‘ ‘ water  level  some  50  miles  from  their  eastern  outcrop . The  strata  of  the 
“upper  coals  come  to  the  horizon  as  the  mouth  of  New  River  is  approach- 
“ ed,  and  not  far  below  the  junction  of  that  river  with  the  Gauley  to  form 
“the  Great  Kanawha.  At  Armstrong’s  Creek,  a section  in  the  600  feet  of 
“ blufi*  above  the  level  of  the  Kanawha,  shows  13  seams  of  coal  varying  in 
‘ ‘ thickness  from  two  and  a-half  to  nine  feet,  with  an  aggregate  of  61  feet, 

‘ ‘ Below  this  place,  at  Cannelton,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Kanawha,  there 
‘ ‘ are  five  seams  of  coal  open,  in  the  1,300  feet  of  the  face  of  the  bluff,  ag- 
“ gregating  29  feet.  More  than  100  feet  of  stratified  coal  has  been  proved 


*For  further  particular??  of  the  Btratification,  dimensions  and  value  of  the  seams,  see  the  work 
“Coal,  Iron,  Oil,”  Philadelphia,  J.  B.  Lippincott  & Co. 


53 


“hero.  Tlio  soiiius  vary  from  S t,o  14  foot  in  tliickiioss,  and  ombrace  gas, 
“ shop,  splint,  and  cannol  variotics.  Tho  seam  producing  the  cannel  is 
“ double,  giving  4 foot  of  oaniiol  and  2^  of  splint  coal.  This  cannel  will 
“yield  (U)  gallons  of  oil  to  tho  ton  of  2,000  lbs.  A section  on  Cabin  Creek 
“ and  vicinity,  ton  miles  below  Cannelton,  by  Prof.  Anstod,  gives  68  feet 
“ of  coal,  in  some  13  seams,  varying  from  2^  to  11  feet  ; 22  feet  of  these 
“ seams  are  cannel  and  from  7 to  11  sf)lint  coal.  At  Campbell’s  Creek, 
“ still  lower  down  the  river,  in  the  400  feet  of  bluff,  are  6 seams,  from  4^ 
“ to  6 feet  thick,  that  furnish  29  feet  of  coal.  This  coal  is  peculiar  in  its 
“formation.  Near  Clay  Court-house,  on  Elk  river,  the  coal  strata  are 
“from  4^  to  11  fe3t  thick,  making  41  feet  of  coal  in  the  500  feet  of  bluff ; 
“ 19  feet  of  the  coal  being  si^lint  and  6 cannel.  At  the  mouth  of  Coal- 
“ river  a stratum  of  coal,  from  4 to  8 feet  thick,  is  found  at  a depth  of  300 
“feet;  of  course  the  other  seams  are  found  there  also,  but  at  greater 
‘ ‘ depths.  These  may  be  considered  fair  samples  of  tlie  sections  through- 
“out  this  great  coal-field,  ample  enough  to  satisfy  the  wants  of  untold 
“ generations,  and  so  accessible  as  to  require  no  special  skill  in  mining; 
“nor  expenditure  for  drainage  and  ventilation.  The  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
“Eailway,  with  its  Parkersburg  and  Wheeling  arms  and  numerous 
“ branches,  now  crosses  the  northern  part  of  this  field  and  opens  it  to 
“markets.  The  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railway  has  just  crossed  it  in  the 
“south,  where  the  Great  Miner  has  “torn  asunder  the  mountains,”  and 
“ well  and  wisely  cut  an  open  gangway,  more  than  a thousand  feet  deep, 
“across  the  rich  strata,  exposed  them  to  daylight,  and  at  the  same  time 
“ made  way  for  the  railroad,  at  very  low  grades,  to  carry  this  “ bottled 
“ sunshine”  to  the  great  markets.  The  coals  found  here  are  used  inmak- 
“ ing  iron  without  coking,  and  the  choice  for  any  special  puiqjose  is  very 
“ great,  the  quality  being  unexceptionally  good.” 

Prof.  T.  S.  Pidgway,  lias  made  a full  and  careful 
examination  of  tlie  minerals  of  commerce  along  tlie  line  of 
the  road.  Tlie  concluding  summary  of  his  Report,'^  in 
relation  to  coal  and  iron  ores,  is  as  follows  : 

Magnitude  of  the  Deposits. 

“The  lower  coal  measures,  which  I have  just  described  in  detail,  are 
“ comprised  in  twenty-four  seems,  eleven  of  which — containing  an  agcjre- 
‘ ‘ gate  thickness  of  fifty-one  feet — are  workable.  The  pick  and  shovel  may 
‘ ‘ disclose  new  beds  in  addition. 


* Copies  of  this  Report,  with  Geological  Map,  may  be  had  on  application  at  the  office  of  the 
CUE3APEAKE  & OHIO  R,  R.  Co.,  54  Wiiliam  street,  or  ^at  the  Banking  House  of  Fisk  & Hatch,  6 
Nassau  Street,  N.  V. 


54 


“Any  attempt  to  estimate,  by  calculation,  the  amount  of  coal  con- 
“ tain ed  within  a given  number  of  miles  of  your  road  would  be  futile. 
“ Without  deeming  it  necessary  to  resort  to  a trigonometrical  survey  of 
“ even  a small  portion  of  the  field,  it  is  quite  obvious,  even  to  the  prac- 
“tised  miner,  that  there  are  above  the  water-level,  between  Big  Sewell 
“ Mountain  and  Charleston,  within  five  miles  on  either  side  of  the  line  on 
“your  road,  thousands  of  millions  of  tons.  The  same  seams  could,  of 
“course,  be  reached  by  pits  of  moderate  depth,  between  Charleston  and 
“ Huntington  ; and  the  amount  of  coal  available  from  West  Virginia  is  in- 
“ calc ulably  large — sufficient,  allowing  for  a normal  ratio  of  increase  in 
“ consumption,  to  supply  the  Western  markets  for  a thousand  years  to 
“ come. 

Advantages  eoe  Iron  and  Steel  Manufacture. 

“Beviewing  the  ground  between  a point  in  the  Piedmont  District  of 
“ Virginia,  say  Gordonsville,  and  the  point  where  your  line  debouches  on 
“ the  Ohio,  Huntington,  a distance  of  325  miles,  as  traversed  by  your  road, 
“I  find  an  almost  constant  succession  of  the  minerals  prominently  used  in 
“the  mechanic  arts  and  commerce  ; and  lam  convinced,  from  the  way 
“ in  which  they  are  presented  at  the  surface,  from  their  abundance  and 
“variety,  and  from  their  proximity  to,  and  elevation  above,  the  road,  that 
“ all  the  elements  of  successful,  continuous,  and  profitable  coal  mining 
“and  manufacture  are  here  found  closely  associated,  and  under  the  most 
“favorable  conditions  for  use.  The  iron  ores  arc  especially  rich,  of  great 
“variety;  the  carboniferous  limestone  is  especially  superior  for  fluxing 
“ purposes  ; the  several  kinds  of  coal  are,  in  their  several  ways,  specially 
“ adapted  for  the  manufacture,  refining  and  working  in  iron  and  steel; 
“and  I am  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  both  the  crude  metal,  and  its 
“more  finished  products,  maybe  produced  along  this  portion  of  your 
“ road  at  less  cost,  or,  in  other  words,  so  as  to  yield  a larger  profit,  than 
“in  even  the  most  favored  localities  in  (filler  States.  Having  heretofore 
“ investigated  and  reported  upon  various  furnaces,  and  having  in  view  the 
“ cheajniess  of  coal  and  charcoal,  fuel,  labor  in  Virginia  (colored),  and  the 
‘ ‘ resources  of  water  pow'er,  I am  satisfied  that  pig  iron  can  be  made  at 
“ numerous  points  along  the  road  at  from  $18  to  $20  per  ton. 

“The  fact  that  good  serviceable  coal  can  he  placed  in  your  cars  at  $1 
“ per  ton,  exclusive  of  royalty,  is  one  of  the  first  importance,  both  to  the 
“ workers  in  iron,  and  to  the  immense  distribution  of  coal  for  various  uses 
“throughout  the  Mississippi  Valley.  It  will  be  observed  also  that,  unlike 
“most  railroads,  by  the  establishment  of  iron-ivorks  between  these  ex- 
“ treme  points,  a reciprocity  of  freights  would  follow,  the  cars  passing  one 
‘ ‘ way  loaded  with  coal,  and  the  other  with  ores.  The  light  grades  of 
“ your  line  will  not  only  admit  of  this  interchange,  but  also  enable  you  to 
“distribute  the  minerals  to  the  works  along  the  line  at  less  cost,  and  also 
“add  to  the  net  revenues  of  the  Company.  Finally,  there  is  no  better 


55 


“outlet  for  coal  an  cl  manufactured  iron  and  otlior  products  to  the  Missis- 
“ sippi  Valley  on  tlio  one  liand,  by  means  of  the  12,000  miles  of  internal 
“ navigation,  added  to  the  vast  network  of  railroads  with  whicdi  the  Chesa- 
“ peake  and  Ohio  Stem  Line  is  destined  to  be  connected;  or,  on  the 
“other  hand,  to  the  Seaboard  Cities  by  way  of  tlie  cheap  coast  navigation 
“ which  your  line  reaches  at  its  cMistern  terminus  on  the  Chesapeake  Bay.” 

The  following  remarks  by  Professor  An  steel,  F.P.S.,  and 
others,  made  during  a session  of  the  Society  of  Arts  in 
London,  gives  concurrent  testimony  to  the  very  great  value 
and  importance  of  the  Virginia  coal  and  iron  deposits  : 

“Professor  Ansted,  F.R.S.,  said  it  was  nearly  twenty  years  since  he 
“first  visited  Virginia,  and  examined  some  of  its  mineral  riches. 
“ * * He  could  speak  personally  and  positively  as  to  the  nature  of 
“ the  coal  fields  alluded  to,  which  provided  one  of  the  greatest 
“ resources  of  mineral  wealth  of  Virginia,  and  one  which  would  no  doubt 
“ prove  in  the  long  run  the  most  important  of  all.  They  might  form  a 
“ good  n<:>tion  of  the  real  value  of  this  coal  field  by  drawing  a comparison 
“ between  Virginia  and  England,  two  countries  of  nearly  the  same  size. 
“ In  Virginia  the  coal  fields  extended  across  the  country  from  north-east 
“ to  south-west — as  if  two-thirds  of  England  were  one  coal  field — the  coal 
“ not  being  difficult  to  work,  involving  very  few  mechanical  difficulties 
“ with  water,  and  scarcely  any  danger  from  explosions.  The  communica- 
“ tions  by  railway  were  quite  equal  to  those  of  England.  It  was  true  the 
“ coal  fields  did  not  come  actually  to  the  coast,  but  they  reached  almost  to 
“ the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi,  and  he  felt  sure  that  the  Mississii^pi  itself 
“ would  ultimately  be  as  great  a highway  for  America  as  the  Atlantic  was 
“ for  England.  There  being  easy  communication  with  the  Atlantic  coast, 
“ he  did  not  think  it  was  too  much  to  expect  that  in  course  of  time  Vir- 
“ ginia  would  send  over  coals  to  England  if  the  labor  question  remained 
“ as  it  then  existed.  At  the  present  time  they  exported  coal  largely  from 
“ Newcastle,  from  the  neighborhood  of  England  and  South  Wales,  and  he 
“ saw  no  reason  why  some  of  the  great  Appalachian  coal  fields  should  not 
“export  coal  with  equal  convenience  to  England  as  we  did  to  New  York. 

“ For  a very  long  time  past  the  whole  of  the  gas  burnt  in  New  York  had 
“been  made  of  English  coal,  notwithstanding  the  facility  they  had  for 
“ getting  it  from  their  own  country  ; but  if  the  price  increased  much  more 
“ they  v ould  have  to  use  their  own.  As  to  the  existence  of  coal  in  Virginia 
“ there  could  be  no  question , but  it  had  never  been  properly  worked  ; in- 
“ deed,  there  was  no  coal  field  which  was  more  important,  and,  although 
“ there  were  places  where  the  seams  were  thicker,  there  were  none  where 
“ they  were  more  accessible  or  of  a better  quality  ; and  he  did  not  think 
“ it  was  always  the  case  that  the  tliickest  seams  were  the  most  valuable. 

“ The  coal  fields  in  the  AppaLacliian  range  were  nearly  all  horizontal,  in- 


56 


“tersected  by  convenient  valleys,  and  could  be  worked  from  numerous 
“ points  at  the  same  time  with  ease,  and  might  be  looked  upon  as  inex- 
“ haustible.  *****  Virginia  was  also  rich  in  iron  fields  of  every  variety 
“ and  quality,  and  he  saw  no  reason  whatever  why,  if  the  same  amount  of 
“ energy  and  intelligence  were  applied  to  the  manufacture  of  iron  as  in 
“England,  Virginia  should  not  take  precedence,  in  the  present  state  of 
‘ ‘ the  labor  market,  in  that  important  manufacture.  Something  of  this 
‘ ‘ kind  must  inevitably  take  place , unless  things  were  altered , of  which  he 
“ saw  no  chance  ; and  in  this  respect  Virginia  had  the  chance  of  being  one 
“of  the  most  important  States  of  America,  and  one  of  the  wealthiest 
“ countries  in  the  world  : for,  although  up  to  a comparatively  recent  time 
“ it  had  been  neglected,  there  was  no  reason  for  it  so  far  as  the  physical 
‘ ‘ condition  of  the  country  was  concerned.  No  country  had  greater  re- 
“ sources  of  wealth  ; for  besides  coal  and  iron  there  were  other  minerals, 

‘ ‘ gold  having  been  obtained  in  many  districts  with  advantage,  and  it  was 
“ certainly  not  yet  exhausted.  There  were  also  copper,  limestone,  marble, 
“ salt  and  other  earthy  minerals,  which  he  would  not  allude  to.  With  all 
“ these  advantages,  he  looked  forward  to  Virginia  being  one  of  the  coun- 
“ tries  of  the  future,  and  he  was  happy  in  being  able  to  lend  what  assist- 
“ ance  he  could  in  pointing  out  these  matters,  because  he  had  visited  it  at 
“ a time  when  it  was  much  less  populous  than  it  was  now,  and  had  fore- 
“ seen  that  when  the  coal  was  worked  it  must  rise  in  importance.” 

“ Mr.  J.  Bowron  (Newcastle)  said  that  two  years  ago  he  spent  some 
“ months  in  Virginia,  more  particularly  for  the  purpose  of  investigating 
“ its  mineral  resources,  and  he  could  concur  in  all  the  remarks  of  Profes- 
“ sor  Ansted.  There  was  no  doubt  of  the  regularity  of  the  coal  fields 
“ throughout  the  whole  of  Western  Virginia,  while  the  country  was  so  in- 
“tersected  with  valleys  that  it  was  very  easy  indeed  to  open  up  at  any 
‘ ‘ point  coal  seams  which  could  be  readily  identified  with  the  same  seams 
“ occurring  twenty  or  thirty  miles  off.  He  himself  followed  one  seam  a 
“ long  distance,  and  its  regularity  he  could  hardly  have  believed  if  he  had 
“ not  traced  it.  On  approaching  the  AjDpalachian  region  he  found  such 
“ immense  deposits  of  hydrated  hematite  ore  as  he  had  never  seen  else- 
“ where,  though  he  was  familiar  with  deposits  of  a similar  kind  in  Cum- 
“ beiiand  and  also  in  Spain.  Besides  these  resources  the  capability  of 
“Virginia  as  a paper  producing  country  were  greater  than  he  believed 
“ existed  anywhere  else.  It  had  the  materials  at  hand  for  producing  those 
“ chemicals  for  which,  at  present,  America  depended  mainly  on  England, 
“being  well  supplied  with  metallic  sulphurets,  salt,  limestone  possessing 
“ ninety-eight  per  cent,  of  carbonate  of  lime,  manganese,  pure  water  and 
‘ ‘ coal,  and  having  these,  it  could  not  lack  anything  for  chemical  manufac- 
“ tures  ; and  it  possessed  besides  such  a growth  of  non-resinous  trees  and 
“ plants,  suitable  for  the  manufacture  of  paper,  that  he  had  no  hesitation 
‘ ‘ in  saying  that  the  one  State  alone  could  easily  supply  paper  for  the 
“ whole  of  the  civ'ilized  world.” 


57 


“Mr.  Nowton  said  lio  had  twice  recently  visihal  Virginia  and  Western 
“Virginia,  for  the  ])nrp()S(>  of  ascertaining  its  snitahility  as  a colony  for 
‘ ‘ English  agricMiltnrists,  He  fonnd  that  the  land  was  richer  than  in  Eng- 
“ land,  and  the  climate  better  ; land  could  be  l)ouglit  for  little  more  than 
‘ ‘ one  year’s  rent  in  this  country  ; every  crop  that  would  grow  here  might 
“ be  cultivated  there,  and  some  especial  ones  besides  ; there  were  as  good 
“ markets,  and  every  necessary  could  be  obtained  at  a lower  price.  In 
‘ ‘ fact,  all  that  an  English  farmer  wanted  was  a little  capital  to  start  with, 
“ and  ho  could  not  fail  of  doing  well  there.” 

‘‘Mr.  Etheridge,  E.E.S.,  referring  to  the  recent  statement  of  Sir 
“ William  Armstrong,  that  under  the  present  prices  of  coal  England  was 
“paying  what  was  equivalent  to  an  annual  tax  of  £45,000^  000  on  that 
“ article,  drew  special  attention  to  the  rich  mineral  resources  of  Virginia, 
“ and  expressed  his  opinion  that  unless  some  solution  of  the  difficulty 
‘ ‘ could  be  found  at  home — and  there  was  no  absolute  necessity  for  such 
“ famine  prices,  seeing  that  at  the  present  rate  of  consumption  our  own 
“ coal  fields  would  not  be  exhausted  in  less  than  500  years — Virginia 
“ would,  at  no  distant  date,  be  found  supplying  the  whole  world  with  coal 
“ and  iron.” 


There  have  been  shipped  to  the  cities  along  the  Ohio  and 
Lower  Mississippi  Valleys,  upwards  of  3,220,000  tons  of  coal 
per  annum  from  the  streams  above  Pittsburg,  distances  of 
500  to  1,500  miles  ; of  which  the  315  miles  between  Pittsburg 
and  Huntington  comprise  by  far  the  most  hazardous, 
tedious  and  costly  portion.  It  is  reasonable  to  expect  that 
hereafter  a large  part  of  this  supply  will  be  be  drawn  from 
the  Kanawha,  as  this  region  is,  without  doubt,  by  far  the 
most  favorable  and  prolitable  locality  for  the  mining  of  coal 
for  the  western  mai'kets.'^ 


* Movement.  The  total  production  of  Coal  in  the  United  States  for  1870,  is  esti- 
mated at  34,600,461  tons;  of  which  19,211,313  tons  were  Anthracite,  and  15,589,148 
were  Bituminous.  Of  the  Anthracite,  15,368,437  tons  were  sent  by  railroad  or  canal 
to  market,  and  3,842,876  tons  consumed  near  the  mines.  The  amount  of  Bitumin- 
ous sent  eastward  to  market  was  4,589,148  tons;  the  balance,  10,800,000  tons, 
being  mined  and  consumed  In  the  United  States,  principally  at  the  West. 


58 


(4.)  Salt,  Eoofing-slates,  Kaolin,  Fike-clay, 
Cement,  Etc. 

The  Salt  Wells  of  tlie  Kanawha  Valley  are  noted  throngli- 
out  the  west  for  the  excellence  and  pnrity  of  their  salt. 

It  has  been  used  for  many  years  in  some  of  the  largest 
meat  packing  establishments,  where  it  is  preferred  to  any 
other  domestic  or  imported  salt,  for  preserving  purj)oses. 
The  salt  is  produced  in  both  coarse  and  line  grained  varie- 
ties, suitable  for  the  table  or  for  pickling.  For  the  curing 
of  bacon,  the  manufacture  of  butter,  and  other  preserva- 
tive uses,  it  is  unequalled  ; being  free  from  the  deleterious 


TONNAGE  OF  AMERICAN  BITUMINOUS  COAL  USED  IN  THE  ATLANTIC  SEABOARD  STATES 


YEAR. 

1 W.  Virginia 

1 Bituminous 
Coal  shipped 
'East  via  B.  & 

! 0.  R.  R. 

Cumberland,  Md. 

i Broad  Top, 
Pa. 

Other  Bitum- 
inous Coal 

j 

t 

Via  Balt,  anc 

1 0.  R.  R. 

! Via  Chesap. 
and  0.  Canal- 

Via  Penn. 
Cen.  and  P. 
and  R.  R.  R. 

shipped  East 
via  Penn.  C. 
P.  & Erie  RR 

Total  Tons. 

1842 

i 1,708 

1,708, 

1843 

10,082 

10,082 

1844 

' 14,890 

14'89o! 

1845 

24,653 

24, 653 

1846 

29,795 

29,795 

1847 

52,940 

52,940 

1848 

79,571 

1 

79,571 

1849 

142,449 

142,449 

1850 

192,806 

4 042 

196,848 

1851 

174,701 

82,978 

257,679 

1852 

268,459 

65,719 

334,178 

1853 

376,219 

157,760 

53.3,979 

1854 

503,836 

155,845 

659,681 

1855 

478,486  ■ 

183  786 

662,262 

1856 

502,330 

204,120 

42,000 

748,4.50 

1857 

465,912 

116,574 

78,813 

247,491 

908,790 

1858 

395,405 

254,251 

105,478 

201,795 

956,929 

1859 

426,512 

297,842 

1.30,595 

209,007 

1,063.956 

1860 

493,031 

295,878 

186,903 

1 497,549 

1,473,316 

1861* 

172,075 

97,599 

i 272,625 

346,289 

890,588 

1862* 

218,950 

98,684 

: 333,606 

640,684 

1,291,924 

1863 

531,553 

216,792 

30.5,678 

602,829 

1,656,852 

1864 

399,354 

258,642 

1 .386,645 

667,157 

1,711,798 

1865 

560,203 

343,202 

315,996 

769,75  i 

1,989,247 

1866 

736,153 

343,178 

' 265,720 

1,137,881 

2,482,932 

1867 

735,669 

458,1.53 

i 244,412 

1,349.869 

2,788,103 

1868 

J 65, 972 

848,118 

482,325 

I 280,936 

1,531,304 

3,308,655 

1869 

269,158 

1,230,518 

652,151 

.360,778 

1,721,375 

4,23.3.980 

1870 

248,879 

1,112,938 

604,137 

313,425  , 

1,889,097 

4,168,476 

1871 

1,494,814 

850,339 

1872 

1,517,747 

816.103 

j 

50 


siilplinto  of  oonimon  to  niu(‘h  of  tlio  salt  sold  in  oiir 
mark(ds.  Its  taste  is  })iir(',  ])leasant  and  y)nngent. 

The  brine  of  tlu'  Kanawha,  saliiK^s  contains  a bushel  of 
salt  to  45  g-allonsof  bi*ine,  nearly  double  the  strength  of  the 
Onondaga  salt  springs,  from  winch  a large  part  of  tlie  do- 
mestic salt  is  manufactured,  the  coal  for  fuel  being  drawn 
from  Pennsyl va nia. 

The  evaporating  pans  in  the  Kanawha  salt  works  are 
heated  by  coal  dug  from  the  hills  on  the  same  estate, 
and  the  salt  is  produced  at  a cost  which  leaves  a 
good  profit  to  the  manufacturer.  The  cheapest  and  best 
packages  for  salt  are  barrels,  whether  for  handling  or  for 
shelter,  the  wood  for  which  may  also  be  found  on  the  same 
lands  with  the  salt  and  coal.  Transportation  to  either 
eastern  or  western  markets  is  now  regular  and  cheap,  and 
the  demand  for  Kanawha  salt  must  increase  largely. 

The  opening  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Kailroad,  brings 
this  salt  within  reach  of  the  eastern  markets,  where  it  has 
been  but  little  known,  heretofore,  owing  to  the  absence  of 
available  means  of  transportation,  and  it  is  now  being 
shipped  to  Richmond  for  distribution  to  South  Atlantic 
and  Eastern  points,  where  it  must  supercede,  to  a large 
extent,  the  imported  article. 

Bromine,  which  is  largely  in  use  in  the  arts,  for  bleach- 
ing, is  made  from  tlie  waste  of  the  salt  manufacture.  This, 
as  well  as  soda-ash,  and  other  chemicals  of  which  salt 
is  the  base,"'  uoav  imported,  can  be  produced  in  immense 
quantities  in  the  valley. 

The  present  product  of  the  Kanawha  salt  wells  is  in  the 
vicinity  of  2,000,000  bushels  j)eY  annum,  of  which  the 
‘‘Snow  Hill  Salt  Eurnace  Co.,”  produce  upward  of  500,000 
bushels. 

Further  up  the  Kew  River,  and  not  far  from  its  conflu- 
ence with  the  Greenbrier,  are  saltworks  which  were  kept  in 
o])eration  some  years  ago,  notwithstanclirig  the  cost  and  dif- 
ficulty of  getting  the  salt  to  market.  The  advent  of  the 


=*=  The  importations  of  soda-ash  and  kindred  salts  of  soda,  exceed  200,000,000  pounds  annually. 


6C 


railroad  should  bring  these  Salines  within  the  limits  of  pro- 
fitable working  and  good  markets.  On  tlie  banks  of  the 
New  River  above  the  Greenbrier,  are  also  Salt  Springs  from 
whicli  a limited  quantity  is  sent  to  market,  whose  product 
can  now  be  largely  increased. 

Roofing -slates. — Near  Keswick  Station  is  a slate  quarry, 
from  which  large  quantities  have  been  taken  for  roofing 
purposes.  It  is  of  a soft  nature,  and  some  bands  of  it 
would  be  well  adapted  to  working  up  into  ornamental 
works  of  art.  The  consumption  of  roofing  slate  at  the 
West  is  increasing,  and  most  of  it  is  hauled  from  the  East- 
ern States. 

Kaolin. — In  Augusta  County,  on  the  waters  of  South 
River,  about  seven  miles  from  Staunton,  is  a large  bed  of 
Kaolin,  which  was  formerly  manufactured  into  earthen- 
ware. 

llydranlic  Cement. — Not  far  from  Swoop’s  Station  is  a 
band  of  hydraulic  cement  limestone,  of  good  quality,  as 
demonstrated  by  actual  test.  It  is  already  shipped  and 
used  for  cementing  purposes. 

Again,  on  Dunlop’s  Creek,  west  of  Covington,  bands  of 
the  encrinal  limestone  are  prepared  and  sent  to  market  in 
large  quantities.  It  is  an  excellent  cement.  Immense 
quantities  of  this  material  are  now  used  in  internal  im- 
provements. 

R ire- day. — Along  with  coal  seams  in  the  NeAv  River 
Valleys,  are  found  valuable  beds  of  Fire  Clay,  and  Pipe  Clay. 
Bricks  made  from  the  clay  of  the  coal  region,  in  combina- 
tion with  sand,  prove  to  be  a better  fire-brick  than  those 
made  from  Kaolin.  The  introduction  of  new  iron  fur- 
naces will  call  for  a largely  increased  supply  of  fire  bricks, 
the  manufacture  of  which  affords  a profitable  and  reliable 
business. 


01 


(5.)  AVa'pku  Powers,  Industrial  Sites,  P/r(L 

A liiu'  like  tluit  of  th('  (Jliesa])eake  and  Ohio,  asciaidiiif^ 
2,OOD  feet  ill  the  iii‘st20()  miles  of  its  course,  and  descending 
nearly  1,000  feid  iii  the  next  150  miles,  crossing  and  border- 
ing on  numerous  streams  by  tlie  way,  must,  of  course, 
abound  in  advantageous  sites  for  tlie  use  of  water  as  a 
motive  power. 

At  Kicliniond  there  is  abundance  of  water-power  for  three 
or  four  times  the  present  manufactures  ; in  fact  the  avail- 
able water  power  of  Richmond  is  said  to  exceed  the  entire 
mill  privileges  of  Lowell  and  Lawrence  combined. 

The  hour  ground  at  the  Richmond  Flouring  Mills, 
owing  to  the  inhuence  of  climate,  is  greatly  preferred  over 
other  brands  for  export  to  South  America  and  other  warm  lat- 
itudes, and  commands  a correspondingly  high  price.  The 
capacity  of  the  68  “run”  of  stones  of  three  mills  is  4,080 
barrels  per  day,  sufficient  to  freight  a large  ship  ; or  1,224,000 
barrels  per  annum,  requiring  over  6,000,000  bushels  of 
wheat.  The  hour  business  of  Richmond  may  be  largely  and 
advantageously  increased,  now  that  the  railroad  makes 
western  wheat  available  in  that  market  at  a low  cost  for 
transportation. 

At  the  head- waters  of  the  James  River,  also,  nearly  every 
mountain  stream  can  be  turned  to  account  for  milling  or 
machinery  purposes.  The  timber  from  the  woods  can  be 
hoated  to  tlie  mill  by  water,  and  by  water-power  sawed  into 
merchantable  lumber. 

Along  the  New  River,  are  numerous  and  ehective  water- 
powers,  and  advantageous  mill  sites,  many  of  which  can  be 
had  with  the  adjacent  land  at  the  bare  value  of  the  land.  So 
of  its  tributaries  and  affluents,  the  CTauley,  Elk,  Coal  and 
Pocatalico  rivers. 

No  part  of  the  country,  probably,  affords  so  hue  a held 
for  the  mechanical  industries  in  which  iron,  wood,  coal, 
bleaching  materials,  hides,  wool,  or  cotton  are  employed, 
as  may  be  found  along  the  line  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
railroad.  The  materials,  the  jiower  and  the  markets  are  all 
accessible  under  very  favorable  conditions. 


62 


Mr.  Howell  Fisher,  in  speaking  of  the  water-powers, 
says : 

“Allusion  should  also  be  made  to  one  peculiar  facility  incident  to  this  river,  re- 
sulting from  the  deep  chasm  cut  by  the  waters,  and  which  certaii  /y  can  be  found 
at  but  few  other  points.  It  is  the  use  that  can  be  so  easily  uacle  of  hydraulic 
means  for  the  lifting  and  handling  of  heavy  weights. 

“To  illustrate:  At  almost  any  point  along  the  river  the  mountain  streams  can  be 
turned  into  pipes  with  heads  of  (say)  300  feet,  giving  a pressure  at  the  railroad 
level  of  (say)  125  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  If  you  wish  at  any  point  to  lift  and 
handle  weights  of  ten  tons,  you  simply  turn  this  water  into  a cylinder  with  a piston 
of  eighteen  inches,  which  will  allow  over  thirty  per  cent,  for  friction,  and  it  will 
lift  the  ten  tons,  and  can  be  operated  by  any  one  who  can  turn  a hydrant  cock. 

“At  several  points  on  New  River  there  are  natural  falls,  where  water-power  to 
the  extent  of  from  5,000  to  10,000  horse-power  can  be  had,  and  this  power  can  be 
secured  by  artificial  dams  at  almost  any  desired  point. 

“The  great  value  of  these  powers  can  only  be  fairly  understood  when  the  fact  is 
known  that  water-power  is  rated  and  paid  for  in  the  Middle  and  Eastern  States  at 
a rent  of  from  twenty  to  fifty  dollars  per  horse-power  per  annum,  according  to 
location. 

“Even  in  works  where  not  ordinarily  considered  desirable,  water-power  has 
been  found  profitable.  In  the  manufacture  of  pig-iron  the  waste  gasses  have 
been  thought  to  be  all  that  could  be  wished  as  a means  of  power  ; button  the 
Lehigh,  above  Easton,  there  are  five  furnaces,  standing  almost  side  by  side, 
working  precisely  the  same  kind  of  stock  ; four  worked  by  steam,  raised  by  the 
waste  gasses,  and  one  worked  by  water  taken  from  the  Lehigh  canal,  for  which 
the  owners  pay  a water-rent  to  the  Canal  Company,  for  the  mere  use  of  Ihe  water 
as  a power,  of  $3,000  per  annum,  rather  than  use  the  waste  gasses  for  the  pur- 
pose, nad  an  experience  of  many  years  has  shown  that  it  is  more  profitable  so 
to  do. 

“With  this  fine  water  power,  with  the  great  breadth  of  excellent  wool-growing 
country  all  along  it,  and  with  a short  outlet  East  and  West,  so  soon  as  population 
grows  to  give  the  necessary  hands,  the  woolen  industly  will  spring  up  and  thrive; 
and  while  this  location  is  some  hunpreds  of  miles  nearer  to  the  cotton-fields 
of  Gleorgia  and  Alabama  than  the  seat  of  many  present  manufactories  of  this 
article,  it  is  to  be  expected  that  in  couose  of  time  a fair  proportion  of  this  indus- 
try will  also  be  established;  and  it  will  not  be  many  years  before  trains  will  be 
seen  on  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  wending  their  ways  to  the  East  and 
West,  all  of  which— the  loromotive,  the  cars,  the  freight,  and  the  rails  on  which 
they  run — have  been  constructed,  manufactured  and  made  on  the  line  of  road.  ” 


03 


TiIK  OllKSAPEAKE  AND  OhIO  RaIIJIOAD  AS  A RoUTE  FOE 

Pleasure  Pravel:  Its  oiueuts  of  PIistoric  Inter- 
est AND  Curiosity,  M aonificent  Scenery,  Mineral 
Springs  and  places  of  Summer  Resort. 

The  coiupletion  of  tlu‘  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad 
from  Riclimoiid  to  tlie  Oldo  River  ojieiis  to  tourists,  in- 
valids and  persons  seeking  rest,  change  and  enjoyment,  one 
of  the  most  charming  and  attractive  Pontes  for  pleasure 
travel  in  the  Pnited  States,  and  affords  to  business  men  and 
others,  having  occasion  to  travel  between  the  East  and  the 
West,  a new  and  delightful  route,  opening  to  them,  while 
pursuing  their  journey  with  speed  and  comfort,  scenes  and 
objects  of  interest  not  hitherto  accessible,  except  at  consid- 
erable expense  of  time  and  money  devoted  expressly  to  the 
purpose  of  visiting  them. 

The  eastern  portion  of  the  route  is  thronged  with  historic 
associations  and  objects  of  national  interest,  and  takes  the 
traveler  throngh  and  in  sight  of  localities  which  have  had  a 
conspicuous  place  in  our  National  History  from  the  settle- 
ment of  Jamestown  and  the  days  of  Pocahontas,  through 
the  Revolutionary  period,  and  the  historic  events  of  more 
recent  years. 

The  scenery  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  of  the  Valley  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  of  the  Alleghenies,  is  unsurpassed  for  beauty, 
grandeur  and  extent  by  anything  which  greets  the  traveler 
anywhere  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  approaching 
the  summit  of  the  Blue  Ridge  from  the  East  in  a clear  day, 
there  is  afforded  an  unbroken  view  of  hill,  valley,  table- 
land and  cultivated  fields,  extending  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach,  and  of  rare  beauty.  Tlie  passage  through  the  great 
valley  and  the  ascent  of  the  Alleghenies  afford  a constant 
succession  of  objects  of  interest  and  attraction. 

From  Staunton  to  the  celebrated  White  Sulphur  Springs, 
the  road  winds  among  a remarkable  succession  of  hills  and 
valleys,  the  interest  of  which,  in  addition  to  their  scenic 
effects,  is  heightened  by  the  immense  wealth  of  iron  ores 
with  which  they  are  known  to  be  filled. 


64 


West  of  tile  Wliite  Siilpliiir  Springs  tlie  route  enters  a 
region  of  wonder  and  beauty,  rendered  accessible  to  tlie 
ordinary  traveler  for  tlie  first  time,  by  tlie  recent  o})ening 
of  tills  portion  of  tlie  road;  and  liitlierto  unknown  to  tour-  • 
ists,  except  to  a few  venturesome  enougli  to  shoot  the 
rapids  of  the  rivers  in  batteaux,  or  ride  their  narrow  banks 
on  mules. 

For  nearly  forty  miles  the  road  follows  the  Greenbrier 
River,  here  shut  in  by  mountains  and  cliffs,  and  there  com- 
ing suddenly  upon  beautiful  openings  and  fertile  bottoms, 
to  its  junction,  with  the  more  turbulent  and  wild  New 
River,  whose  banks  it  then  follows  closely  for  60  miles,  to 
where,  in  its  junction  with  the  Gauley,  near  Hawks  Nest, 
it  becomes  the  Great  Kanawha. 

The  gorge  or  canon  of  the  New  River  affords  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  and  fascinating  experiences  in  railroad 
travel,  which  can  be  found  on  the  continent,  and  one  which 
no  traveler,  having  once  enjoyed,  would  feel  that  he  could 
afford  to  have  missed. 

It  is  no  ordinary  valley,  but  a literal  cut,  down  into  the 
bowels  of  the  earth,  whose  natural  surface  of  table  land  and 
rolling  country  is  far  above  the  river  and  tlie  railroad  from 
500  to  1,000  feet  ; and  whose  geological  strata  of  Coal, 
Iron  and  Limestone  crop  out  on  the  sloping  or  perpendi- 
cular sides  of  the  cut  from  100  to  300  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  track. 

The  road  follows  the  natural  curves  of  the  river,  which 
are  broad,  graceful  and  easy,  down  upon  its  banks,  never 
losing  sight  of  it,  except  when  dashing  for  a moment 
through  a tunnel  or  cut  where  some  projecting  spur  of  the 
enclosing  mountains  has  left  no  bank  for  the  road  bed,  or 
rendered  tin?  curve  too  sharp. 

The  mountains  rise  on  either  side  in  steep  slopes  or  per- 
})endicular  bluffs,  divided  by  frequent  valleys  and  ravines 
coming  down  to  the  rivei*  level,  and  sparkling  with  moun- 
tain streams  and  waterfalls.  The  windings  of  the  road, 
through  this  wonderf  ul  gorge,  with  the  flashing  river  always 
b(‘fore,  behind  and  beside  you,  and  the  forms  of  the  enclos- 


iiig*  hills  mid  dilTs  cliaiigiiig  with  eax^h  new  curves  and 
altered  point  oi‘  observation,  ])resents  a panorama  which  is 
very  wonderful  and  thrilling — a sort  of  giant  kaleidoscope 
in  Avliich  vast  objects  are  whirled  about  and  combined  in 
gorgeous  transformations  like  tlie  bits  of  colored  glass  in 
the  child’s  toy. 

Just  below  Miller’s  Ferry  the  road  crosses  the  New 
River — whose  right  bank  it  has  hitherto  followed — in  sight 
of  the  famous  Hawk’s  Nest.”  A little  further  down  the 
New  River  and  the  Gauley  join  their  waters  and  become  the 
Great  Kanawha,  whose  left  bank  the  road  now  follows  for 
42  miles  further,  through  the  great  Kanawha  coal  fields, 
past  Kanawha  Falls  to  Charleston,  the  capital  of  West 
Virginia,  a thriving  and  growing  city  of  about  6,000  in- 
habitants. Sixteen  miles  below  Charleston  the  road  leaves 
the  river,  and  strikes  across  a rolling  country  to  Hunting- 
ton,  its  terminus  on  the  Ohio. 

Here,  where  three  years'  ago  there  were  only  a few 
scattered  farm-houses,  is  now  a busy  and  growing  city  of 
3,000  inhabitants,  which  from  its  favorable  location  on  the 
river,  its  healthfulness  and  its  unsurpassed  facilities  for  the 
various  industries  requiring  cheap  iron,  fuel,  lumber  and 
transportation  to  market,  is  destined  to  become  one  of  the 
most  important  centers  of  manufacture  and  trade  in  the 
Ohio  Valley. 


Minekal  Springs. 

Between  Staunton,  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  and  the 
junction  of  the  Greenbrier  and  New  Rivers,  in  West 
Virginia,  on  the  line  of  the  road,  and  at  a distance  from  it 
varying  from  2 to  37  miles,  is  probably  the  most  remark- 
able collection  of  Mineral  and  Medicinal  Springs  in  the 
world.  Many  of  them  have  been  long  known  and  frequented 
by  invalids  and  seekers  after  health  and  pleasure,  and  are 
celebrated  for  their  medicinal  properties,  and  their  wonder- 
ful curative  effects. 

The  summer  climate  of  this  region  of  the  Springs  is 
delightful,  being  cool,  dry  and  invigorating,  and  remark- 


66 


ably  healthy.  Its  elevation,  of  about  2,000  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  exempts  it  from  the  extreme  heat  of 
Summer,  and  gives  a purity  and  bracing  character  to  the 
atmosphere,  which  is  felt  at  once,  and  long  remembered 
afterwards  by  those  who  visit  it  in  Summer. 

The  most  important  and  most  widely  known  as  a Summer 
resort  is  the  celebrated  Greenbrier  White  Sulphur,  situated 
directly  on  the  line  of  the  road,  six  miles  West  of  where  it 
crosses  the  summit  of  the  Alleghenies,  227  miles  west  from, 
K-ichmond,  and  193  miles  east  from,  Huntington.  The 
hotel  and  cottages  connected  therewith  have  accommoda- 
tions for  about  2,000  guests,  to  which  large  additions  will 
doubtless  be  made  to  accommodate  the  increased  number 
of  visitors  which  the  opening  of  the  road  through  to  the 
west  will  bring  to  it. 

There  are  numerous  other  resorts  of  established  reputa- 
tion for  the  medicinal  properties  of  their  waters,  and  for 
good  accommodations,  pleasant  surroundings,  and  agree- 
able society. 

Below  will  be  found  a list  of  the  various  Springs  and 
points  of  interest,  stage  connections,  distances  from  the  rail- 
road accommodations  for  guests,  and  names  of  hotel  pro- 
prietors, which  may  be  of  assistance  to  persons  proposing 
to  visit  them  during  the  coming  season. 

The  Mineral  Springs  of  Virginia,  though  chiefly  known 
in  years  past  as  the  favorite  watering  place  of  the  people  of 
the  South,  have  within  a few  years  been  growing  in  popu- 
larity with  those  of  the  North  and  East,  especially  since 
the  opening  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Bailroad,  from 
Richmond  to  White  Sulphur,  in  1869. 

Until  this  season  these  Springs  and  places  of  resort,  so 
peculiary  adapted  to  the  wants  and  tastes  of  the  people 
of  the  west  and  south-west,  have  been  accessible  from 
that  direction  only  by  long  stage  coach  journeys.  The 
opening  of  the  road  through  to  the  Ohio  River  brings  them 
within  less  than  24  hours  from  Cincinnati,  and  will  make 
them  the  great  watering  places  of  the  west. 


67 


Now,  that  tlu'y  lie  midway  upon  a through  routes 

ot*  travel,  between  th(‘  East  and  W(‘st,  and  ca-ii  l)(‘  visibui  for 
a day  or  two  at  a time  by  thousands  of*  ])eople  passing  to 
and  fro,  and  taken  en  route  between  the  great  c(3nters  of 
business  and  ])0])nlation  on  tlie  Atlantic  Coast  and  in  the 
Mississippi  Yalh\y,  their  c(debrity  will  be  widely  extended, 
and  they  will  form  a meeting  point  and  social  centre  for 
people  from  all  sections  of  the  country,  unequalled,  in  their 
natural  attractions,  their  facilities  for  health,  rest  and  plea- 
sure, and  the  society  winch  they  will  bring  together,  by 
any  of  the  famous  watering  places  of  America. 

Distance  Table  to  the  Various  Springs  and  Points  of  Interest. 


Name  of  Springs,  <5cc. 

County 

Distance 
from  R.R. 
Station. 

Nearest 

1 Railroad  Station. 

Capacity  i 

of 

Accom- 

modatioh. 

Convey- 
ance from 
Station. 

Hotel  Proprietors. 

Augusta  or  Stribling  Sp. 

Augusta . . . 

1 

12  j 

Staunton 

500 

Stage. 

Chesley  Kinney. 

Bath  Alum  Springs 

Bath 

10  ’ 

Millboro 

200 

Joseph  Baxter. 

Cold  Sulphur  Springs . . . 

Rockbridge 

Goshen 

125 

“ 

J.  B.  Goodloe. 

Hot  Springs 

Bath 

18  ! 

Covington 

400 

“ 

J.  A.  August. 

Healing  Springs 



15  1 

300 

“ 

B.  M.  Quarles. 

Jordan’s  Alum  Springs. . 

Rockbridge 

8 

Goshen 

400 

“ 

C.  B.  Luck. 

Natural  Bridge 

35 

“ . 

U 

J.  W.  Bruce. 

Rockbridge  Alum  Spr’gs 

“ 

8 

“ 

800 

J.  A.  Frazier. 

Rockbridge  Baths 

10 

200 

u 

P.  F.  Brown. 

Red  Sulpher  Springs 

Monroe 

14 

Talcott 

150 

u 

C.  S.  Peyton  & Co. 

Rawley  Springs 

Rockingha’ 

37 

Staunton.. 
Alleghany  Stat’n 

400 

t 4 

Jos.  N.  Woodward. 

Sweet  Chalybeate  Spr’gs 

Alleghany.. 

9 1 

400 

G.  1..  Peyton  & Co. 

Sweet  Springs 

Monroe. . . 

10 

800 

0.  Beirne. 

Salt  Sulphur  Springs 

14 

Fort  Spring 

200 

C.  S.  Peyton  & Co. 

White  Sulphur  Springs. . 

Greenbrier. 

0 

Wh.  Sul.  Spr.  Sta 

2,000 

G.  L.  Peyton  & Co. 

Warm  Springs 

Bath 

15 

Millboro 

300 

Stage. 

J.  L.  Eubank. 

Weyer’s  Cave 

Augusta . . . 

17 

Staunton 

ST^G-E  OOItTIsrEOTZOlSrS 

At  Staunton,  foe  Weyee’s  Cave,  Augusta  oe  Steibling  Speings,  and 
Rawley  Speings. 

At  Goshen  foe  Lexington,  Rockbeidge  Baths,  Natueal  Bridge,  Cold 
Sulphur  Springs,  Rockbridge  Alum  Springs,  and  Jordan's  Alum 
Springs. 

At  Milboeo’  foe  Bath  Alum  Springs  and  Warm  Springs. 

At  Milboeo  or  Covington  for  Healing  Springs  and  Hot  Springs. 

At  Alleghany  for  Sweet  Springs  and  Sweet  Chalybeate  Springs, 

At  Fort  Spring  for  Salt  Sulphur  Springs. 

At  Talcott  foe  Red  Sulphur  Springs. 


68 


The  foregoing  statements  are  designed  more  especially  to 
point  ont  to  parties  seeking  such  information,  the  advanta- 
ges of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  for  the  regular  I 

and  economical  transportation  of  through  freights ; the  | 

/ 

varied  and  wonderful  resources  with  which  its  route  is  / 
enriched,  and  its  unequalled  attractions  for  travel,  settle- 
ment, business  enterprise  and  the  investment  of  capital,  and 
to  direct  them  to  reliable  sources  of  more  particular  and 
detailed  information. 

They  exhibit  also  the  great  value  and  importance  of  the 
railroad  itself,  and  present  the  most  satisfactory  evidence  j 
as  to  the  very  large  and  profitable  traffic  which  it  must  1 
command,  the  ample  security  of  its  Mortgage  Bonds,  and  j 
the  prospective  value  of  its  Capital  Stock.  * 

We  take  great  pleasure  in  repeating  to  those  who  as 
holders  of  its  securities  are  interested  in  its  financial  success 
and  prosperity,  the  expression  of  our  continued  belief, 
strengthened  and  confirmed  by  the  more  recent  develop- 
ments, that  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  Company, 
with  its  completed  Railroad  of  420  miles — unsurpassed  in  j 
thoroughness  of  construction  by  any  line  of  railroad 
in  the  United  States,  linking  the  waters  of  the  Chesapeake 
Bay  to  the  Rivers  and  Railroads  of  the  Grreat  West  and  run-  j 
ning  through  one  of  the  richest  mineral  regions  in  the  world ; ! 
with  its  valuable  franchises  for  extension  and  branches,  and  | 
for  bridging  the  Ohio  River ; with  its  abundant  resources  j 
for  remunerative  traffic ; with  its  capable  and  honorable 
management,  and  unexceptionable  standing  and  credit,  is 
entering  upon  a career  of  usefulness  to  the  commerce  and 
industry  of  the  country,  and  of  legitimate  enrichment  to 
itself,  which  will  give  it  a leading  rank  among  the  great  and 
successful  enterprises  of  our  times. 

Very  respectfully, 

FISK  & HATCH. 


Persons  desiring  to  reach  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
Railroad,  from  New  York,  can  take  the  steamers  of  the  Old 
Dominion  Line,  from  pier  37,  North  River,  at  4 P.  M.,  and 
connect  with  cars  at  Norfolk  the  following  afternoon,  or  at 
Richmond  on  the  second  morning ; or,  they  can  leave  New 
York  by  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  from  the  Cortlandt  st.  or 
Desbrosses  Street  Ferries  for  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  thence 
ma  the  Fredricksbnrg  Railroad  to  Richmond,  or  ma  the 
Orange  and  Alexandria  Railroad,  to  Gordonsville,  thence 
via  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  to  Richmond,  or 
the  West,  as  may  be  desired. 

Passenger  trains  leave  Richmond  for  the  West : Mail 
train  at  8.30,  A.  M.,  arriving  at  White  Sulphur  Springs  at 
8.05,  P.  M.,  Express  train,  at  10.00  P.  M.,  arriving  at  White 
Sulphur  Springs  at  8.03,  A.  M 

Passengers  leave  Cincinnati  by  steamers  Fleetwood  and 
Bostoiia^  at  3 P.  M.,  arriving  at  Huntington  at  9 A.  M. 
Trains  leave  Huntington  for  the  East : Express  train  at  10 
A.  M.,  Accommodation,  at  3.20  P.  M. 


List  of  Stations  and  Table  of  Distances  on  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad. 


From  RICHMOND  To 


Miles. 


James  River,  wharves 

Richmond 

Atlee’s 9 


From  RICHMOND  To 


Miles. 


Craigsville 

Bells  Valley 

Goshen  [Stages  to  Springs] 


1591^ 

1681^ 


Ashcake 
Peake’s. . 
Hanover. 


121^ 

14K 


Mill  boro’. 
Griffiths. . 
Longdale 


1751^ 

186 

1881^ 


Wickham’s 

South  Anna 

Junction  [Fredericksburg  R.  R.]. 


21 

22K 

271^ 


Clifton  Forge . . . 
Jackson’s  River 
Covington 


191^ 

195 

20534 


Anderson’s. 

Noel’s 

Hewlett’s . . 


30^ 

35K 


Callaghan’s 

Alleghany 

White  Sulphur 


211 

221K 

227M 


Beaver  Dam. 
Green  Bay  . 
Bumpass . . . 


40 

43 

45 


Ronceverte . 
Fort  Spring 
Alderson . . . 


238 

2441^ 

251K 


Buckner’s 

Frederick’s  Hall 
Tolersville  


47 

5034 

561^ 


Talcott 

Hinton 

Meadow  Creek 


2621^ 

27234 

285 


Louisa  . . . . 
Trevillian’s. 
Melton 


62 

66K 

72>^ 


McKendree 
Dimmock  . 
Sewell  .... 


29534 

307 

314 


Gordonsville  [Orange  & Alex.  R.] 

Lindsay 

Cobham  


76 

80M 

83 


Hawk’s  Nest, . . 

Laurel 

Kanawha  Falls 


325)^ 

327)^ 

334>^ 


Keswick 

Shadwell 

Charlottsville,  [Lynchburg] 


89X 

93 

97 


Lou])  Creek. 
Cannelton . . 
Paint  Creek 


338)^ 

344 

349)^ 


Ivy 

Mechum’s  River 
Greenwood  .... 


104K 

107K 

115 


Brownstown 
Alden 


354 

361^ 

365 


Afton 

Waynesboro’ 
Fisherville . . , 


119^ 

124 

129 


Charleston 
Spring  Hill 
St.  Albans 


370;^ 

376 

382)4 


Staunton  [Valley  R.  R.]. 

Swoopes 

Siberton 


13634 

144>4 

147M 


Scary  

Scott 

Hurricane 


386 

390 

396 


North  Mountain 

Variety 

Elizabeth 

Pond  Gap 


149)4 

152 

153)4 

155 


Milton 

Barboursville 
Guyandotte . . 
Huntington  . 


402)4 

411)4 

418 

422)4 


ClIESArUAKE  AND  OlIlO  RaILROAD  Co 


OFFICERS  AND  DIRECTORS. 

PRESIDENT, 

C.  P.  HUNTINGTON, 

New  York. 


VICE-PRESIDENT, 

WILLIAMS  C.  WICKHAM, 

Richmond. 


SECRETARY  AND  TREASURER. 
JAMES  J.  TRACY, 

New  York. 


JAMES  H. 


COUNSELORS, 

STORKS,  JOHN  B. 

New  York. 


BALDWIN, 

Virgin-ia. 


CHIEF  ENGINEER, 
H.  D.  WHITCOMB. 


DIRECTORS. 


C.  P.  HUNTINGTON, 

New  York, 

WM.  H.  ASPINWALL, 

New  York. 

DAVID  STEWART, 

New  York. 

WM.  B.  HATCH, 

New  York 

JOHN  ECHOLS, 


A.  A.  LOW, 

New  York. 

WM.  WHITE  WRIGHT, 

New  York. 

JONAS  G.  CLARK, 

New  York. 

PLINY  FISK, 

Trenton,  N.  J. 

WMS.  C.  WICKHAM, 


Staunton,  Va. 


Richmond. 


H.  CHESTER  PARSONS, 

Huntington,  W.  Va. 


Jr., 


Banking  House  of  FISKl  & HATCH, 

No.  S NASSAU  STREET, 

New  York,  May  1,  1873. 

We  recommend  as  safe  and  desirable  Securities  for  the  exchange  of  Gov- 
ernment Bonds,  or  for  new  investments, 

The  Chesapeake  & Ohio  Seven  Per  Cent.  Bonds, interest  payable  Janu- 
ary 1 and  July  1.  Principal  and  interest  payable  in  gold  in  New  York 
City.  Bonds  of  $1,000  each,  either  coupon  or  registered  ; secured  by  a 
First  Mortgage  upon  the  eastern  extension  of  the  road  from  the  present  depot 
at  Richmond,  through  Church  Hill  Tunnel,  to  the  docks  on  the  James  River, 
and  down  the  Peninsula  to  the  proposed  point  of  terminus  at  deep-water 
on  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  together  with  the  Docks,  Warehouses,  and  all  other 
property  connected  with  this  portion  of  the  Road;  upon  the  ]jroposed  Kanawha 
River  Branch;  and  upon  the  great  bridge  to  be  built  across  the  Ohio  River  at 
Huntington,  to  connect  the  present  Western  terminus  of  the  Road,  with  pro- 
jected lines  in  Ohio  to  Cincinnati,  Portsmouth,  Dayton,  Chicago,  Saint  Louis, 
and  the  Northwest;  and,  in  addition,  by  a second  mortgage  upon  the  main  line 
of  the  road  between  Richmond  and  the  Ohio  River,  and  all  the  present  and 
future  equipment  required  for  its  extensive  business. 

This  mortgage  thus  commands  the  two  ends  of  this  great  East  and  West 
Trunk  Line  of  road,  and  its  outlets  to  deep  water  on  the  East,  and  across  the 
Ohio  River  on  the  West,  (which  must  ultimately  be  among  the  most  valuable 
and  important  portions  of  the  Company’s  property)  besides  being  a lieu  upon 
the  entire  road  and  equipment. 

Tlie  Chesapeake  <fe  Ohio  Six  Per  Cent.  Bonds,  interest  payable  May  l, 
and  November  1.  Principal  and  interest  paj^able  in  gold  in  New  York  City. 
Issued  in  denominations  of  $100,  $500,  and  $1,000;  either  coupon  or  registered. 

The  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad  is  completed  and  in  operation  from 
Richmond  to  Pluntington  on  the  Ohio  River,  a distance  of  420  miles,  and  has 
entered  upon  a large  and  rapidly  increasing  business.  This  portion  of  the  Road 
and  the  present  equipment,  to  which  large  additions  are  being  constantly  made, 
is  worth  not  less  than  35  to  40  millions,  and  at  a moderate  estimate  of  its  pros- 
pective traffic  in  the  transportation  of  products  and  merchandise  between  the 
East  and  West,  and  in  bringing  to  market  the  immense  resources  in  Iron,  Coal, 
Salt,  Timber,  etc.,  which  line  its  route  will,  it  is  believed,  within  a few  years, 
earn  interest  on  at  least  50  millions. 

The  eastern  extension,  by  means  of  which  the  cars  loaded  with  Western 
products  and  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  vast  Iron  and  Coal  fields  of  Virginia 
and  West  Virginia,  can  be  laid  directly  alongside  the  largest  ships  in  the 
world  at  the  best  and  most  accessible  harbor  on  the  entire  Atlantic  Coast  line 
of  the  United  States,  and  receive  in  return  their  cargoes  of  manufactured  and 
imported  goods  for  the  West,  is  now  in  progress,  and  when  completed  will  add 
immensely  to  the  value  of  the  entire  Road,  and  to  its  facilities  for  a large  and 
profitable  business. 

We  continue  to  deal  in  Government  Bonds,  receive  deposits  on  which  we 
allow  interest,  make  collections,  execute  orders  at  the  Stock  Exchange  for 
cash,  and  do  a general  Banking  business. 


FISK  Sl  hatch. 


